




' 














THE 


CONVERT’S GUIDE 


AND 

/ • 

*c 

PREACHER’^.^SSISJ'ANT. 

/ 

* V ^ / 

IN TWO PART^T^H^w/ 


BY REV. T. MERRITT, 


AUTHOR OF THE CHRISTIAN'S MANUAL. 




^Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, 
by George Lane, in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court 
of the Southern District of New- York. 


SCSSiNAP UBRAJft 




**24 190ft 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


NOTICE. 

\ 

This manual is most earnestly recommended to the 
young Christian, as containing directions and instructions 
most suitable and necessary. They are the result of much 
observation, and thought, and deep experience in the things 
of God, and constitute a body of practical divinity which 
cannot fail to secure to the convert, be he young or old in 
years, growth in grace, stability of Christian character, 
and great efficiency and usefulness in the church, if he 
read, digest, and reduce it to practice. 


Editor. 








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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


v PREFACE. 

That a work of the character which the following pur- 
ports to be is much needed in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church will be admitted by all. The fact, that we have 
no work of the kind, and that the church embraces in her 
communion great numbers of the youth, will clearly show 
this. 

The author has had the plan of the following work on 
his mind for many years, but never set about the execution 
of it till within a few months past. 

It is called The Convert’s Guide, because it is de- 
signed to take the young Christian, from his conversion, 
through all the principal subsequent duties of the Christian 
life ; and I call it the Preacher’s Assistant, because it is 
designed to give the needed instruction on the most import- 
ant Christian duties, in the absence of the pastor, and to 
say those things which he would say, were he present. 

In drawing up the following work I have read much, 
and thought more, have made large drafts on many emi- 
nent writers, chiefly on Wesley, Doddridge, Stackhouse, 
and Coke. When an author has said what was wanted, 
and in the language wanted for my work, I have borrowed 
without scruple ; otherwise, I have abridged, extracted, or 
changed one word or phrase for another. This liberty I 
have taken chiefly with Doddridge and Stackhouse, whose 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


writings, besides being somewhat antiquated in style, and 
too diffuse for my purpose, do not always express evan- 
gelical sentiments. This is particularly the case with Mr. 
Stackhouse. But it is believed that no sentiment is ad- 
mitted into this manual of devotion that will not bear the 
strictest test. 

It has not been thought the better way to refer, in gen- 
eral, to the authors whose writings have been used in the 
body of this work, as this could have no tendency to pro- 
mote devotion, but rather to interrupt it. 

The chapters and sections in the following work are all, 
it is believed, important, but not all equally so. Some, 
from the very nature of the subjects treated of, will be 
found more important than others ; and some, from the cir- 
cumstance that they are new to the young Christian, or 
relate to points of duty on which he has received less in- 
struction, will demand his first and chief attention. The 
chapters on the evidences of conversion, — on covenanting 
with God,. — entire devotion to his service, — on joining the 
church, — baptism, and preparation for coming to the Lord’s 
supper, are all important, and are found in the first part ; 
and in the second, those on the convert’s exerting himself 
for purposes of usefulness, and on charity, will be found 
among the most important on the relative Christian duties. 
But on reading the work over carefully, with prayer, the first 
time, the convert will judge for himself which are the most 
important chapters, sections, and paragraphs for him, and 
on these he must employ the more immediate, close, and 
frequent attention. 

This is not a work to be read hastily, as one would read 
a newspaper, and then thrown by ; but it must be read 
carefully, again and again, with deep consideration and 
prayer, till it be fully impressed on the memory and heart. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


7 


Nor will this labour appear too much to those who desire 
to be such Christians as the New Testament describes, — 
“ perfect , thoroughly furnished unto every good work.” 
There are many who hunger and thirst after righteousness. 
These need only pursue the right way, with an even, con- 
stant step, and they will accomplish their object. 

It is hoped that the following chapters will not prove 
unworthy the attention of the older Christian, nor unpro- 
fitable to those who have been long in the way. 

That the God, whose mercies are over all his works, 
may be graciously pleased to give his blessing to the fol- 
lowing compilation, is the sincere prayer of the 

Author. 




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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


CONTENTS. 

PART I. 

CHAPTER I. 

Page 

Conversion 13 

CHAPTER II. 

Evidence op Conversion. 

Sec. 1 . Evidence of conversion from our own ex- 
ercises 18 

Sec. 2. Evidence of conversion from the witness 
of the Holy Spirit 37 

CHAPTER III. 

The convert urged to, and assisted in, renewing his 
covenant with God 47 

CHAPTER IV. 

The duty of joining the church urged upon the con- 
vert 


59 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Pago 

CHAPTER V. 

Baptism, as connected with a profession of 
RELIGION. 

Sec. 1. Nature and subjects of baptism 70 

Sec. 2. The mode of baptism 79 

CHAPTER VI. 

The duty of the convert in coming to the Lord’s sup- 
per, and his preparation of himself for that ordi- 
nance 88 


PART II. 


CHAPTER I. 

Christian duties which relate immediately to 
God. 

Sec. 1. Of loving God 109 

Sec. 2. Of fearing God 126 

Sec. 3. Of trusting in God 134 

Sec. 4. Of submission to God 139 

Sec. 5. Of rejoicing in the Lord 148 

Sec. 6. Of heavenly mindedness 153 

Sec. 7. Of prayer to God . . 159 

Sec. 8. Of praise and thanksgiving to God 175 

CHAPTER II. 

Christian duties which relate immediately to 

OUR FELLOW CREATURES. 

Sec. 1. The convert urged to exert himself for 
purposes of usefulness 184 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 11 

Page 

Sec. 2. Of the love of our neighbour, or charity.. 195 

Sec. 3. Of mercy in general 208 

Sec. 4. Of mercy to men’s souls 209 

Sec. 5. Of mercy to men’s bodies 214 

Sec. 6. Of exhortation 221 

Sec. 7. Of forgiving those who trespass against us 223 

Sec. 8. Of the government, of the tongue 226 

Sec. 9. Of the duty of subjects to their rulers 229 

Sec. 10. Of the duty of people to their pastors... 230 
Sec. 11. Of the duty of servants to their masters. 232 
Sec. 12. The duty of the convert considered as 
the head of a family 234 

CHAPTER III. 

Christian duties which relate immediately to 
OURSELVES. 

Sec. 1. Attention to our thoughts 238 

Sec. 2. Of humility 242 

Sec. 3. Of meekness 246 

Sec. 4. Of self-denial and bearing the cross 250 

Sec. 5. A day’s walk of the convert with God... 253 
Conclusion 257 



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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE 


AND 

PREACHER’S ASSISTANT. 


PART I. 


CHAPTER I. 

NATURE OF CONVERSION. 

The term conversion is used in the following 
pages for regeneration, or a change both of heart 
and life. This change is produced by the power 
of divine grace, in other words, by the agency of 
the Holy Spirit, in all who truly seek the Lord. 

We learn from the Holy Scriptures, that this 
change is necessary to our seeing God in peace. 
The necessity of it is found in the corruption 
of human nature and action. The testimony of 
God concerning our race is, that they “ have 
corrupted their way that “ there is none” (by 
nature) “ good, no, not one that “ the imagi- 
nation and thought of their heart is evil, only 
evil, and that continually that they “ are by 
nature children of wrath and, therefore, that 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


they must be “ renewed in the spirit of their 
minds,” and have the whole course of their 
lives changed. But it is unnecessary to go 
largely into the proof of the necessity of such a 
change in this place. 

It is, however, of importance to those who 
would become converts, that we point out the 
way according to which conversion may be ob- 
tained. 

Many, understanding that conversion is the 
work of the Holy Spirit, too hastily conclude, 
that human agency and means have no influence 
in bringing it about ; and therefore that we must 
wait the pleasure of the Lord, as in any provi- 
dential deliverance. The extraordinary man- 
ner of his reviving his work in our day, and our 
manner of speaking of it, have a tendency to 
produce that impression. We see that God 
pours out his Spirit at some times, and on some 
places, more than others. How natural there- 
fore to conclude, that we must wait for the sea- 
sons of refreshing from his presence ? 

This is, however, a great and fatal mistake. 
“ There are divers operations of the same Spirit” 
We must distinguish between his ordinary and 
extraordinary operations. Those to which I 
have alluded above are the extraordinary, and 
may be compared to the pouring out of water. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


16 


The ordinary are like the gentle, insinuating 
dews. And yet nothing more is necessary to 
conversion. Let any sinner, as a rational, ac- 
countable agent, bring his understanding to bear 
on the nature, necessity, and means of conver- 
sion ; let him, in the appointed means of grace, 
seek a change of heart ; the Holy Spirit is in 
every effort he makes, and in all the means he 
uses, and will certainly convert and save him if 
he persevere. It is not necessary that his un- 
derstanding should be fully opened of a sudden, 
that his mind should be agitated with fear and 
despair in order to obtain pardon, and be assured 
of an interest in the divine regards. But he 
may say, that his mind is dark, stupid, and bar- 
ren of every thing good. It is well that he has 
a sense of these things. But he means to say, 
that he has no adequate sense of them. Yet he 
has a sense of them adequate to present neces- 
sity; and if he goes on, the Lord whom he seeks 
will give him a deeper conviction when that 
shall be necessary. Prayer is one of the chief 
means to be used ; the prayer of confession at 
least ; and this will lead to the prayer of sup- 
plication, which will in due time bring into his 
soul the kingdom of God, which is righteous- 
ness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. This 
conviction and these efforts constitute that re- 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


16 

pentance which precedes conversion. Faith also 
is a condition of conversion. But faith here is 
not that luminous, joyous faith, which is the 
“ substance of things hoped for, the evidence of 
things not seen.” The elements of the faith I 
now speak of are, a conviction of sin, both ori- 
ginal and actual, a renunciation of our own right- 
eousness, and an earnest desire for renewal 
through the merits of Christ alone. 

He that understanding^ uses all the means 
of grace within his reach, shall find increasing 
desires, until they are all embodied in the “ love 
of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy 
Ghost given unto him.” Then, and not till then, 
is he a real convert, a new creature, a child of 
God. 

But let him not, on the one hand, conclude 
that he is truly converted, because he sees and 
laments his situation ; nor, on the other, despair, 
because he cannot convert himself. “ The Lord, 
whom he seeks, shall suddenly come to his tem- 
ple, and make his abode with him, even the Fa- 
ther, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” 

But if these gentle convictions alone be ne- 
cessary, and be attainable by man, as a free 
agent, in the use of means, why is conversion 
ascribed to God ? Let me not be misunderstood. 
When I say that man may obtain conversion, I 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


17 


do not mean that he can convert himself. But 
though he cannot convert himself, he may, as a 
free agent, use the means on which God has 
promised to convert him. And these means 
must be used, or the sinner will never be con- 
verted. 

But if the question be confined to those dis- 
tracting fears and despairing horrors, to that dis- 
tressing anxiety and perplexity of mind, which 
frequently attend conviction of sin, the answer 
is, that God may permit these, for a season, to 
subdue the obstinacy of the sinner, and deter 
him from the path that leads to eternal death. 
Many w'ould never reflect on their course, were 
they not thus compelled. And it is no wonder 
that a sinner, on discovering his guilt and dan- 
ger, should feel all the painful passions of his 
mind put in motion. But his conversion is not 
hastened, but frequently retarded thereby. His 
conversion is not the more sound for these 
things, nor is it certain that his Christian course 
will be the more even and steady on their ac- 
count. St. Paul was dealt with in the extraor- 
dinary way ; the twelve apostles in the ordina- 
ry ; and yet their conversions were as sound as 
that of Paul. Many things often mingle in the 
exercises previous to conversion which are not 
essential to that work. Let us then learn to se- 
2 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


parate the dross from the gold. Conversion is 
a thing of the utmost importance to every indi- 
vidual. Let us not rest without this, and the 
evidence of it. 


CHAPTER II. 

EVIDENCE OF CONVERSION. 

Section I . — Evidence of conversion from our own exercises. 

It is not always the case that the young con- 
vert has at first a clear and undoubted evidence 
of the change wrought in him, or that he retains 
it when it is clear. He is, in a great measure, 
unacquainted with the trials of the Christian war- 
fare, and the devices of Satan. He may not be 
well instructed in the marks or evidences of con- 
version. And hence any change in the comfort- 
able frames of his mind may become the occa- 
sion of casting away his confidence, contrary to 
the injunction of the apostle, “ Cast not aw’ay 
therefore your confidence, which hath great re- 
compense of reward,” Heb. x, 35. 

It will be proper in this place to consider some 
of the more common grounds of doubt and per- 
plexity with the young Christian ; and to show 
him how far he has advanced in the divine life ; 
for if judicious instruction be withheld from him 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


19 


at this time of trial, he will not only walk in 
darkness, but the work of God will be at a stand 
with him, if he does not even make shipwreck 
of the faith, and lose his soul. 

But before I state his difficulties it will be pro- 
per to remark that there is such a thing as fatal 
self-deception; and God forbid that I should 
help to deceive a soul to his injury and ruin. It 
would be better for any one never to have been 
born, than to be guilty of thus deceiving a fellow' 
creature, and persuading him that he is an heir 
of heaven, when he has no title to that charac- 
ter. It will be proper, therefore, in this place, 
to ask him a few questions, which he may an- 
swer in his own conscience before God. 

And first, Have you ever seen yourself a sin- 
ner? Have you ever seen that your “inward 
parts are very wickedness ?” In particular, that 
your understanding was dark in respect to God 
and the things of God ? Have you seen that 
your heart was deceitful, hard, and full of unbe- 
lief? Have you seen that your affections were 
alienated from God, and set on forbidden ob- 
jects, and that all the inclinations of your nature 
were evil, only evil, and that continually? Have 
you seen and felt that you were justly condemn- 
ed for your vileness before God ? Have you 
been brought to confess your sinfulness and 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


helplessness, and to ask for pardon at his hand 1 
Have you turned from your evil ways, and 
sought the Lord with all your heart 1 And 
while thus confessing, supplicating, and seek- 
ing, did you find release from the burden and 
power of sin 1 Were you in that hour given to 
see that it was of the “ Lord’s mercies that you 
were not consumed V* and did Jesus Christ be- 
come precious to your soul ? Were you led to 
give thanks to God, and offer him your soul and 
body a living sacrifice ? 

I do not ask you whether your views of sin 
and the mercy of God were the clearest, or your 
exercises the deepest that could be, or whether 
they fully satisfied yourself ? but whether the 
former were sufficient to imbitter all sin to your 
taste, and to produce a hearty turning from it ; 
and whether your views of the latter were ac- 
companied with a yielding up of yourself to God, 
a trusting in him, and a confiding of all your 
cares and interests to his gracious will and plea- 
sure ? If you can answer these queries in the 
affirmative, you are undoubtedly the subject of a 
work of grace. It would be an easy thing to 
multiply words here, and to give various exer- 
cises, both under the law and under grace ; but 
the fewer words the better. Circumstances and 
exercises which have nothing to do with the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


21 


nature of the work, have often been brought in, 
and great stress laid upon them, to the perplex- 
ity of the young convert. The fears and terrors 
which often mingle with conviction of sin, and 
the joys and raptures which often accompany 
conversion, are not to be regarded as essential 
characteristics of the work of grace, or as au- 
thenticating that work in a high degree. They 
are rather incidental to that work, and no great 
dependance is to be placed upon them, when the 
nature of conversion is under consideration. 

We are now ready to accompany the young 
convert in those trials and perplexities which 
are often thrown in his way, and which must be 
carefully removed, before he can confidently 
believe himself a child of God. 

1 . It is a very common error with those who 
seek the Lord in sincerity, that they lay out his 
work for him. They seem to think that crea- 
tures so unworthy as they are must have the 
keenest conviction and the deepest distress, and 
must be brought, as it were, from the very “ belly 
of hell.” They also conclude, that when God 
shall pardon their sins and receive them to his 
favour, it must be in a miraculous way, and at- 
tended with such extraordinary evidence of his 
power and grace as shall not leave a doubt upon 
their minds. 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Of course, when they come to reflect upon 
what they have passed through and experienced, 
and observe that it does not come up to their 
preconceived opinion of conversion, they are 
thrown into perplexity, and are strongly tempt- 
ed to cast away their confidence, and in gene- 
ral, the more they reason upon their state, the 
darker do their minds become, till finally they 
conclude they have taken up with something 
short of conversion, and have all their work to 
do over again, and that, too, under many disad- 
vantages. 

It would have been well for these to consider, 
that God “ bringeth the blind in a way they have 
not known.” It is altogether out of character 
for the sinner, blind, guilty, and helpless as he 
is, to prescribe any thing relating to the time 
and manner of His operation, who, in respect 
to these matters, “ worketh all things after the 
counsel of his own will.” If he undertakes 
this, which he is altogether inadequate to do, 
the merciful God will most certainly disappoint 
him. It does not become him who is entirely 
dependant to say to his benefactor, “ You ought 
to give me so much, at such and such times, and 
in such a manner.” Much less would it become 
a criminal, who has forfeited his life, to pre- 
scribe the time, manner, and circumstances of 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


23 


his pardon, especially when his Saviour, out of 
a regard for his best good alone, appointed the 
time, manner, and all the circumstances. And 
thus it is with the merciful God in his dealing 
with his creatures. Their wants, and his grace 
alone, dictate the course he takes with them. 
He gives much or little, now or by and by, as 
he sees best for us. And shall we find fault 
with him, because he does not conform to our 
views in his method of saving sinners ? Are 
we to be the judges of what is best and proper? 
Shall we not rather consider that we deserve not 
so much as the crumbs which fall from our Fa- 
ther’s table, and yet that we are invited to eat 
and drink abundantly the portion of his child- 
ren ? Let us come to a better mind, and instead 
of perplexing ourselves because we have not yet 
actually received all the divine fulness, let us 
set ourselves to work out our salvation “ while 
he worketh in us to will and to do of his own 
good pleasure.” Let us give thanks for what 
we have received, and remember that it is more 
than our desert, however small it may be. And 
let us not forget, that the kingdom of God in the 
soul of man is often like a grain of mustard, 
which is small in its commencement, but grows 
till it becomes a great tree ; and like the first 
dawning of the day, which is followed with in- 


24 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


creasing light until noon. Under the influence 
of these recollections and reflections, we shall 
avoid or correct the error pointed out above ; 
the darkness and confusion of our minds will 
cease ; our confidence will be strengthened ; 
our hope, gratitude, and love to God will be in- 
creased ; we shall see our way clear, and pur- 
sue it with diligence and delight. 

2. It is often the case, that those whose con- 
versions are accompanied with the clearest evi- 
dence, the most heavenly frames, even “ with joy 
unspeakable and full of glory,” are thrown into 
the greatest perplexity, and are tempted to give 
up their confidence. They at first feel nothing 
but love and happiness. The motions of sin are 
all suspended, the burden of guilt is all removed 
from their consciences, the sources of sorrow 
are all dried up, purity and peace reign within, 
and they conclude they shall never again feel 
the dire plague of inbred corruption. In this 
happy state they remain a longer or a shorter 
time. But sooner or later their joy abates, the 
heaven within in a great measure subsides, a 
state of trial comes on, and they are alarmed at 
feeling the motions of sin in their hearts. Im- 
patience, anger, envy, self-will, and a host of 
enemies are intrenched in their very bosoms. 
This appalling discovery throws them into the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


25 


greatest consternation and perplexity. They 
gradually lose sight of what they once enjoyed, 
and finally sink into despondency, concluding 
either that they never were converted, or that 
they have backslidden, and are now forsaken of 
God, or at least have no saving interest in 
Christ Jesus. 

But it is easy to see here the existence of two 
grand errors, and that one has prepared the way 
for the other. The first error was committed 
while in the joy of their conversion, and con- 
sisted in their concluding that no sin remained 
in them, merely because they were not con- 
scious of any. And the second consists in con- 
cluding, that they are not true converts because 
they have sin remaining in them. These have 
several things to learn before they can be esta- 
blished in the grace of God. 

1 . They must learn that much of the corrup- 
tion and depravity of nature remains after con- 
version, whether they feel it or not. There is 
a wide difference between sin remaining, and 
reigning in us. If sin reigned in us, that is, if 
we were following its inclinations and motions ; 
if we were yielding obedience to its dictates, 
we could not, in that case, be considered con- 
verts, or children of God, whatever we once 
were. But that much sin remains after conver- 


26 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


sion, is clear from the direction given by the 
apostle to real Christians, to “ cleanse them- 
selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, 
and to perfect holiness in the fear of God,” 
2 Cor. vii, 1 . This is to be done in the progress 
of sanctification. 

2. It is also all important to know that one 
may be a true convert while much of the original 
corruption of nature remains, and while he feels 
it too. There is a wide difference between 
feeling the motions of sin, and yielding to them. 
If we yield to them we give them dominion over 
us ; but if we resist them they have no concur- 
rence of our will, and bring no condemnation 
upon our consciences. It will require close 
attention, and clear discernment, to discover the 
difference between the mere motions of sin, and 
giving the consent of our will to them. But as 
this distinction does really exist, God will no 
doubt make it plain to them that earnestly look 
to him for light. But let not the young convert, 
on this account, treat the remaining corruptions 
of his heart with indifference. This would se- 
parate between him and his God. He must 
confess them, and mourn over them, and put 
them away by contrition, and washing in the 
blood of Christ. And while he is doing thus, 
let him, on no account, cast away his confidence 


THE CONVERT S GUIDE. 


27 


in Christ. There is no need that he should do 
this. God received him, for Christ’s sake, with 
all his actual sins, and with all the corruption 
of his nature ; and surely he will not cast him 
oft’ because a part of that corruption remains ! 
I say a part of that corruption ; because, when 
he was pardoned and received to the divine fa- 
vour, he had much more turpitude of nature 
than he has now. Now he is a child, though 
but a babe in Christ, and he needs only hold his 
confidence firm, and he shall grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of Christ. “ Christ will 
be unto him wisdom, righteousness, sanctifica- 
tion, and redemption.” As a child of God, he 
may claim every promise and privilege of such, 
especially the promise of entire sanctification, 
the destruction of every sin, root and branch. 

3. In the time of trial the young convert is 
often tempted to think, that though the evidence 
of a change is too strong to be denied, it is not 
of the right kind — that it is the mere effect of 
his own imagination and efforts. He has felt a 
flame burning in his bosom, but is ready to con- 
clude that it was a flame of his own kindling, 
the mere work of the passions, and that he is a 
stranger to the true grace of God. 

That there is such a thing as self-deception, 
and a motion of the passions without either the 


28 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


knowledge of sin, or a desire for holiness, can- 
not be denied. It is of importance to be able to 
distinguish between the marks of true conver- 
sion and those of an unrenewed state. 

The young convert would do well to recur 
here to the queries proposed at the beginning 
of this section. If he can answer those in the 
affirmative, he is undoubtedly the subject of a 
gracious change. In addition to those queries, 
I now remark, that there is strong presumptive 
evidence in his favour, arising from his anxiety 
respecting the state of his soul. The self-de- 
ceived is not anxious, but presumes all is well, 
without examination. He is settled down on 
his lees. He is lukewarm. He is at ease in 
Zion. He thinks God is too good to cast him 
off for ever, and hence gives himself no trouble 
about his spiritual state. 

The self-deceiver never examines himself, 
nor searches the Scriptures with a view to as- 
certain his real state ; but the convert searches 
both himself and the word of God, and cannot 
rest till he finds the evidence of his adoption. 
He is troubled till he can commune with God, 
and behold the light of his reconciled counte- 
nance. 

The self-deceived is offended at plain and 
faithful dealing, and condemns the word that 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE, 


29 


condemns him. The real convert esteems that 
ministry most highly which searches him the 
most closely, and considers him his best friend 
who discloses to him his faults, both in expe- 
rience and practice. 

The self-deceived person thinks there is no 
need of being very strict in the use of the means 
of grace, or the ordinances of God’s house. The 
real convert loves the sanctuary of God, walks 
in his commandments and ordinances, loves the 
place where Christians meet to “ praise and 
pray,” and delights in the conversation that is 
heavenly. By these and other marks the con- 
vert may know, even in his most uncomfortable 
times, that he is not destitute of the grace of 
God, and that what he feels is not the work of 
the imagination, or of the passions merely, but 
the work of the Holy Spirit. 

4. In comparing their experience with that 
of others, how often are young converts thrown 
into doubt and perplexity by the difference in 
the circumstances of their conviction and con- 
version ! As the brightness of the sun obscures 
the lesser lights of heaven, so does the bril- 
liancy of one experience eclipse that of another 
of inferior brightness. 

To those who thus compare themselves with 
others I would say, “ They are not wise.” Why 


30 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


should one person compare the circumstances 
of his experience with those of others, for the 
purpose of marking the difference between them, 
and pass over all that are common to the nature 
of that change ? This is as absurd as it would 
be for one person to compare himself, as to sta- 
ture and size, with another, and then conclude 
that he is not a man because he is not as large, 
every way, as his neighbour. As both are men, 
though one is much larger than the other, so 
both may be real converts, though there be a 
great difference in the circumstances attending 
their conversion. A small piece of gold may be 
as genuine a coin as the largest piece. The 
difference is not in the nature of the two pieces, 
but in their weight and value merely. There 
appear to have been no extraordinary circum- 
stances in the conversion of the twelve apostles. 
Jesus “ called” them, they “ left all, and fol- 
lowed him,” and this is all we know about the 
matter. And yet their conversion was as real 
as that of Saul of Tarsus, who was stricken to 
the ground as by lightning, lost his sight, and 
heard a voice speaking to him, and calling him 
by name, &c. No dependance is to be placed 
on circumstances which may be absent in true 
conversion, and may exist where there is no 
conversion at all. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


31 


The convert should learn to judge his state by 
the essential characteristics of conversion, and 
not by fortuitous circumstances. Let him refer 
to the queries which have already been proposed 
and referred to. If he can answer these in the 
affirmative, he is warranted in judging favour- 
ably of his state. 

5. The last case I shall mention under this 
head is that of those who find an abatement in 
their comforts, and the fervour of their affec- 
tions, with low spiritedness and depression, 
without being able to assign any particular 
cause. 

The first remark on these cases is, that it is 
a favourable circumstance that they are unable 
to assign the cause for the change they expe- 
rience in their comfortable frames of mind. No- 
thing but voluntary sin, or sin indulged in, could 
produce a change in their state ; and if they had 
indulged in any sin they would probably know it. 

Various physical causes may produce the ef- 
fects complained of. As the state of health 
varies, so may also their comfortable frames. 
Whatever affects the state of health, as the 
changes in the weather, though this may not be 
very perceptible to the person himself, will in 
some degree affect the mind. Some people are 
constitutionally disposed to nervous affections, 


32 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


and to depression and gloominess as the conse- 
quences. And it not unfrequently happens that 
this gloominess prevails to such a degree as to 
unfit one for business, and subject him to mel- 
ancholy, if not to despair. But this is purely a 
natural disease, as much so as a fever or the 
rheumatism. It is a physical, and not a moral 
evil, that is, there is no sin in it. We often 
meet with persons of this cast, who manifest the 
greatest tenderness of conscience, the greatest 
uprightness of conduct, and would not commit a 
sin on any account, and weep over imaginary 
faults as though they were real. These are 
cases which require the most skilful treatment, 
and it is well, after all, if they can be cured. 
The grace of God alone can support the Chris- 
tian’s confidence in this time of trial, and to that 
he should have continual recourse. 

The following sentiments are taken from a 
sermon by the Rev. J. Wesley, entitled, “Sa- 
tan’s Devices,” and come to the aid of the young 
convert, in assisting to establish his confidence. 
Nothing but the danger of swelling this work 
beyond its intended limits, prevents giving co- 
pious extracts from the sermon. 

1. Satan “ endeavours to damp our joy in the 
Lord, by the consideration of our own vileness, 
sinfulness, un worthiness.” You may cast back 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 33 

this fiery dart, while, through the grace of God, 
the more you feel your own vileness, the more 
you may rejoice in confident hope that all this 
shall be done away. While you hold fast this 
hope, every evil temper you feel, though you 
hate it with a perfect hatred, may be a mean, 
not of lessening your humble joy, but rather of 
increasing it. This and this, you may say, shall 
“ perish from the presence of the Lord.” Like 
as the wax is melted at the fire, so shall this 
melt away before his face. By this mean, the 
greater the change is which remains to be. 
wrought in your soul, the more may you triumph 
in the Lord, and rejoice in the God of your sal- 
vation ; who hath done so great things for you 
already, and will do so much “ greater things 
than these.” 

2. Again. “ If he can damp our joy, he will 
soon attack our peace also. He will suggest, 
‘ Are you fit to see God ? He is of purer eyes 
than to behold iniquity. How then can you flat- 
ter yourself so as to imagine he beholds you 
with approbation ? God is holy, you are un- 
holy. How is it possible that you, unclean as 
you are, should be in a state of acceptance with 
God?’” 

Under this temptation you must “ take the 
more earnest heed to hold fast, that ‘ not by 
3 


34 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


works of righteousness which I have done, I am 
found in him.’ I am ‘ accepted in the beloved ; 
not having my own righteousness,’ (as the cause, 
either in whole or in part, of my justification 
before God,) ‘but that which is by faith in 
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by 
faith.* O bind this about your neck ; write it 
upon the table of your heart: I am ‘justified 
freely by his grace, through the redemption that 
is in Jesus Christ.’ Value and esteem, more 
and more, that precious truth, ‘ by grace we are 
saved through faith.’ So shall the sense of the 
sinfulness you feel on the one hand, and of the 
holiness you expect on the other, both contri- 
bute to establish your peace, and make it flow 
as a river.” 

3. “If we hold fast, * other foundation can no 
man lay than that which is laid, even Jesus 
Christ;’ yet he will not cease to urge, ‘ But the 
tree is known by its fruits.’ And have you the 
fruits of justification ? Is that mind in you 
which was in Christ Jesus ? Are you dead unto 
sin, and alive unto righteousness? Are you 
made conformable unto the death of Christ, and 
do you know the power of his resurrection? 
And then, comparing the small fruits we feel in 
our souls with the fulness of the promises, we 
shall be ready to conclude, Surely God hath 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


35 


not said that my sins are forgiven me ! Surely 
I have not received the remission of my sins ; 
for what lot have I among them that are sanc- 
tified?” 

“ But the more you are tempted to give up 
your shield, to cast away your faith, your confi- 
dence in His love, so much the more take heed 
that you hold fast that whereunto you have at- 
tained. So much the more labour to stir up the 
gift of God which is in you. Never let that 
slip, I have £ an Advocate with the Father, Jesus 
Christ the righteous,’ and £ the life I now live, I 
live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me 
and gave himself for me.’ Be this thy glory 
and crown of rejoicing. And see that no man 
take thy crown. Hold that fast, £ I know that 
my Redeemer liveth and I now ‘ have redemp- 
tion in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.’ 
Thus, £ being filled with all peace and joy in 
believing,’ press on to the renewal of thy whole 
soul in the image of him who created thee. 
Meanwhile cry continually to God for this very 
thing ; not as something that must be, or thou 
wilt go to hell ; but as something that may be, 
to lead thee to heaven. Beholding it in the true 
point of light, thou wilt hunger after it more and 
more ; thy whole soul will be athirst for God, 
and for this glorious conformity to his likeness. 


36 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


And having received a good hope of this, and 
strong consolation through grace, thou wilt no 
more be weary or faint in thy mind, but wilt 
follow on till thou attain. 

4. “ In the same power of faith press on to 
glory. God hath joined, from the beginning, 
pardon, holiness, heaven. And why should man 
put them asunder ? O beware of this ! Let not 
one link of the golden chain be broken. God, 
for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven me. He is now 
renewing me in his own image. Shortly he 
will make me meet for himself, and take me to 
stand before his face. I, whom he hath justi- 
fied through the blood of his Son, being tho- 
roughly sanctified by his Spirit, shall quickly 
ascend to the new Jerusalem, the city of the 
living God.” 

“ And if you thus ‘ taste the good word of 
God, and the powers of the world to come,’ you 
will not murmur against God because you are 
not yet meet for the inheritance of the saints in 
light. Instead of repining at your not being 
wholly delivered, you will praise God for thus 
far delivering you. You will magnify God for 
what he hath done, and take it as an earnest 
of what he will do. You will not fret against 
him because you are not yet (wholly) renewed, 
but bless him because you shall be ; and be- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


37 


cause now is your salvation from all sin nearer 
than when you first believed. Instead of uselessly # 
tormenting yourself, because the time is not fully 
come, you will calmly and quietly wait for it, 
knowing that it will come , and will not tarry. 
Yet a little while, and sin shall be clean gone. 
Only tarry thou the Lord’s leisure ; be strong, 
and he shall comfort thy heart ; and put thou 
thy trust in the Lord.” Thus far Mr. Wesley. 

Section II . — Evidence of conversion from the witness 
of the Holy Spirit. 

It is not always the case that the convert can 
satisfy himself of his good estate, by reasoning 
from his own exercises. His exercises frequently 
will be so complicated and mixed, and the fruit 
of the Spirit’s working will be so eclipsed by 
a view of his short comings and unworthiness, 
that doubt and uncertainty will generally prevail. 

He therefore needs a stronger evidence of his 
conversion than his own exercises afford. And 
God has provided this also ; and no good thing 
does he withhold from his children. 

It is of the utmost importance to the convert 
that he be assured of the pardon of his sins, and 
of his acceptance in Christ Jesus. When this 
is the case he feels a peace that passeth all 
understanding ; he rejoices with joy unspeaka- 


38 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

ble and full of glory, and runs with delight the 
• race set before him. He is now ready to go to 
prison or to death for his blessed Lord, and yields 
himself up entirely to the will of God. But 
without this assurance he has little strength, he 
drags on heavily, and cannot glorify God as he 
does who knows the things that are freely given 
to him of God. 

• Therefore, says the apostle, “We have re- 
ceived, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit 
which is of God ; that we might know the things 
that are freely given to us of God,” 1 Cor. ii, 
12. And, “ because ye are sons, God hath sent 
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, cry- 
ing, Abba, Father,” Gal. iv, 6. Again, says the 
same apostle, “Ye have not received the spirit 
of bondage again to fear ; but ye have received 
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we say, Abba, 
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness 

WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE THE CHILDREN 

of God,” Rom. viii, 15, 16. 

The following thoughts are taken from Mr. 
Wesley’s sermon on the “ Witness of the Spi- 
rit,” and nearly in his own words. 

“ But what is that testimony or witness of the 
Spirit which he bears with our spirit, that we 
are the children of God 1 It is hard to find 
words in the language of men to explain the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


39 


deep things of God. Indeed, there are none 
that will adequately express what the children 
of God experience. But perhaps one might say, 
(desiripg any, who are taught of God, to cor- 
rect, to soften, or strengthen the expression,) 
the testimony of the Spirit is an inward im- 
pression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God 
directly ‘ witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child 
of God that Jesus Christ hath loved me, and 
given himself for me ; that all my sins are blotted 
out, and that I, even I, am reconciled to God.” 

The testimony here spoken of is not an as- 
surance of future everlasting happiness , but of 
present pardon and adoption into the family of 
God. It is necessary to make this distinction, 
because all the scriptures relating to assurance 
bear on this point ,— present pardor £ and adoption , 
and not on any thing future. 

Here it may be asked how we may distinguish 
between the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and 
an impression from our own imagination ? The 
former, it is admitted, is highly important, while 
the latter would be injurious and ruinous. 

In reply to this it must be observed, that when 
it is the good pleasure of God to bear this testi- 
mony to our spirit that we are the children of 
God, it is infinitely easy for him to make him- 
self understood by us, and to assure us that it is 


40 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


his voice, and not that of our own imagination 
that we hear. 

In order to clear this point, and show the dif- 
ference between our own imagination and the 
testimony of the Spirit, it is necessary to ob- 
serve, that there is a testimony of our own spi- 
rit, as well as of the Spirit of God. The former 
is obtained by reasoning from the inward dis- 
positions and affections usually called the fruits 
of the Spirit, and of which, in general, we can- 
not but be conscious, if they exist in us. “ With 
regard to this,” says Mr. Wesley, “ the founda- 
tion thereof is laid in those numerous texts of 
Scripture which describe the marks of the chil- 
dren of God, and that so plainly that he who 
runneth may read them. Thus, if he know, 
first, ‘ as many as are led by the Spirit of God, 7 
into all holy tempers and actions, ‘ they are the 
sons of God,’ (for which he has the infallible 
assurance of holy writ;) secondly, I am thus 
‘ led by the Spirit of God he will easily con- 
clude, therefore I am a son of God. 

“ Agreeably to this are all those plain decla- 
rations of St. John in his first epistle. * Hereby 
we do know that we know him, if we keep his 
commandments chap, ii, 3. ? Whoso keepeth 
his word, in him verily is the love of God per- 
fected ; hereby know we that we are in him, 7 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


41 


that we are indeed the children of God ; verse 
5. ‘ If ye know that he is righteous, ye know 
that every one that doeth righteousness is bom 
of him;’ verse 29. ‘We know that we have 
passed from death unto life, because we love the 
brethren chap, iii, 14. ‘ Hereby we know that 
we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts 
before him verse 19 ; namely, because we love 
one another, not in word, neither in tongue, but 
in deed and in truth. ‘ Hereby know we that 
we dwell in him, because he hath given us of 
his (loving) Spirit chap, iv, 13. And ‘ hereby 
we know that he abideth in us, by the (obe- 
dient) spirit which he hath given us chap, 
iii, 24. 

“ It is evident that both the apostle himself, 
and all those pillars in God’s temple, were very 
far from despising these marks of their being 
the children of God ; and that they applied them 
to their own souls for the confirmation of their 
own faith. Yet all this is no other than rational 
evidence ; the witness of our own spirit ; our 
reason or understanding. It all resolves into 
this : those who have these marks are children 
of God ; but we have these marks, therefore we 
are children of God. 

“ But how does it appear that we have these 
marks ? How does it appear that we do love 


42 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


God and our neighbour ? And that we keep his 
commandments 1 — that is, how does it appear to 
ourselves ? I would ask him then, who proposes 
this question, How does it appear to you that 
you are alive 7 and that you are now in ease, and 
not in pain ? Are you not immediately conscious 
of it 7 By the same immediate consciousness 
you will know if your soul is alive to God ; 
if you are saved from the pain of proud wrath, 
and have the care of a meek and quiet spirit. 
By the same means you cannot but perceive if 
you love, rejoice, and delight in God. By the 
same you must be directly assured if you love 
your neighbour as yourself; if you are kindly 
affectioned to all mankind, and full of gentle- 
ness and long-suffering. And with regard to 
the outward mark of the children of God, which 
is (according to St. John) the keeping his com- 
mandments, you undoubtedly know in your own 
breast, if, by the grace of God, it belongs to you. 
Your conscience informs you from day to day, if 
you do unto all as you would they should do unto 
you ; if you possess your body in sanctification 
and honour ; and if, whether you eat or drink, 
you are temperate therein, and do all to the glory 
of God. 

“ Now this is properly the testimony of our 
own spirit , even the testimony of our own con- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


43 


science, that God has given us to be holy of 
heart, and holy in outward conversation. It is 
a consciousness of our having received, in and 
by the Spirit of adoption, the tempers mentioned 
in the word of God, as belonging to his adopted 
children ; even a loving heart toward God, and 
toward all mankind, hanging with child-like 
confidence on God our Father, desiring nothing 
but him, casting all our care upon him, and em- 
bracing every child of man with earnest, tender 
affection, so as to be ready today down our life 
for our brother, as Christ laid down his life for 
us ; a consciousness that we are inwardly con- 
formed, by the Spirit of God, to the image of his 
Son, and that we walk before him in justice, 
mercy, and truth, doing the things which are 
pleasing in his sight.” 

But the witness of the Spirit, as stated above, 
is an immediate, direct impression of the Spirit 
upon the soul of him who seeketh God, that he 
is pardoned and adopted as a child of God, and 
that without reasoning upon any gracious exer- 
cises or fruits of the Spirit within him. Indeed, 
the gracious exercies and fruits of the Spirit 
mentioned above do not go before, but follow 
after the witness of the Spirit. This will ap- 
pear evident to any one who attends to the pro- 
gress of the work of God in the soul of man. 


44 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


First, the Spirit awakens the sinner to a sense 
of his guilty, condemned, wretched condition 
before God ; when he begins to confess his sin- 
fulness, and lament his condition, and in the 
spirit and language of the convicted publican, 
he cries, “ God be merciful to me a sinner.” He 
continues in this darkness and distress, crying 
to God with every breath, when, sooner or later, 
the burden is removed from his soul, and he sees 
that God is love, that Christ loved him, and gave 
himself for him, a*nd that he is pardoned and ac- 
cepted through the merits of his Redeemer. 
This testimony to his pardon and acceptance is 
the witness of the Spirit with, or to his spirit ; 
and was not preceded by either love, or joy, or 
any of the fruits of the Spirit, but gave rise to 
them all : for as soon as he saw that he was 
freely justified, (pardoned,) love, joy, peace, 
long-suffering, gratitude, and all the fruits of the 
Spirit sprang up in his heart, and he felt a 
heaven within. The convert has now a two- 
fold evidence of his acceptance, the witness of 
the Holy Spirit, and the witness of his own spi- 
rit. The former assured him of pardon and 
adoption through Christ Jesus, and both assure 
him that he is now a child of God. First, the 
Spirit testifies that God loves him, and hath for- 
given him all his trespasses ; and then, and not 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


45 


till then, he loves God, and all mankind for his 
sake. Here he has the two-fold witness ; that 
of the Spirit , and that of his own spirit , and the 
order in which they are given. Every convert 
may not have adverted to this order in the two 
testimonies, at least not at first ; but every Chris- 
tian has it in substantial form, and he will be 
more and more convinced of the truth of it, the 
more closely he attends to what passes in his 
own breast. 

The order of these testimonies is a point of 
great importance to be observed. For, as the 
witness of the Spirit is first in order, and is re- 
ceived before the witness of our own spirit can 
exist ; so it may remain clear and steadfast, when 
the latter is beclouded and shaken. We have 
before observed, that ill health, temptation, and 
various trials, may, for a time, obscure the wit- 
ness of our own spirit ; that is, we may not be 
sensible either of our love to God or man, and 
our comfortable, joyous frames may have given 
place to gloom and heaviness. But notwith- 
standing, the witness of the Spirit may remain 
clear, and keep the soul in peace. The two 
testimonies stand on entirely different grounds. 
That of our own spirit rests on the holy affec- 
tions and exercises we feel within us : that of 
the Spirit, on the free mercy of God in our jus- 


46 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


tification and adoption. Nothing will destroy 
the witness of the Spirit but giving way to sin 
of one kind or another, either inward or out- 
ward. Ignorance of the nature of these wit- 
nesses will greatly perplex and harass the 
mind, and turning off the eye from beholding 
Christ will be followed with the loss of evi- 
dence. “ Hold fast., therefore, your confidence, 
which hath great recompense of reward.” Keep 
the eye of the soul steadily fixed on Christ, and 
on the great mercy of God, which saves you 
now from sinning, and will save you to the end. 
Be not in a hurry to have the season of trial pass 
away. Lie in the hand of God as clay in the 
hand of the potter. Say in thy heart, “ This is 
from the Lord, and shall I not wait for him V* 
The trial, whatever it be, is designed for thy 
good; and therefore thououghtest to be passive, 
to have no will of thine own, but cast thyself 
and thy every care upon the Lord, who careth 
for thee, and will bring thee through as gold that 
hath seven times passed the furnace. When 
the cloud hath passed over, which for a short 
season hath measurably darkened thy heavens, 
then shall thy sun shine with increased bright- 
ness, and thou shalt go on thy way again re- 
joicing. Thus shalt thou learn the devices of 
Satan, and the mercy of the Lord thy God ; and 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


47 


thy soul “ shall be as the tree planted by the 
rivers of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in 
its season. Thy leaf also shall not wither, and 
whatsoever thou doest shall prosper.” 


CHAPTER III. 

THE CONVERT URGED TO, AND ASSISTED IN, 
RENEWING HIS COVENANT WITH GOD. 

The convert is supposed to have come to a 
degree of establishment in the grace of God by 
the two-fold witness of the Holy Spirit, and his 
own spirit, or conscience, and is desirous of de- 
voting himself unreservedly and unremittingly 
to the service of God. It will be proper for him, 
therefore, now to bind himself, in the strongest 
manner possible, to a life of devotion. He has 
already done this substantially in his repentance, 
prayers, promises, and in that act of faith by 
which he has embraced and received the Son 
of God as his Lord and Saviour. But he did it 
under less favourable circumstances than now 
exist, when his mind was agitated with fear and 
conscious guilt, and he knew not whether he 
was destined for life or death everlasting. 

That state of mind has passed away, and he 
can now deliberate with calmness on the state 


48 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


of his soul, and the obligations he is under to 
the God of all grace ; and to confirm the vows 
he has made of perpetual devotion, and to render 
thanksgiving and praise to his merciful God, he 
knows to be his reasonable service. The true 
convert cannot indulge the thought of going back 
from the Lord, or of loitering in the way of duty. 
The language of his heart is, “Show me the good 
and the right way,” and I am ready to walk in 
it with all my heart. While in this state of feel- 
ing, in order to continue in it, it is believed that 
he may profitably renew his covenant with God, 
and that in the most solemn, deliberate, and 
formal manner. He may say, that he does this 
in his heart. But the point now under consider- 
ation is, not what may barely suffice for his sal- 
vation, but what may prove the most beneficial 
and useful to him. And it is believed that a 
covenant drawn up in due form of words, and 
subscribed with his own hand, will add strength 
to his voluntary obligations, and therefore prove 
very profitable to him. Many of the most emi- 
nent Christians and ministers have thought the 
same, and acted accordingly. The following 
are among the reasons for this step. 

1. Such solemnity, in the manner of doing it, 
is very reasonable in the nature of things ; for 
surely it is highly expedient to bind such hearts 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


49 


as ours to the Lord our God. It will be plea- 
sant to reflect upon it as done at such a time, 
with such and such circumstances of place and 
method. The recollection of your vows to God 
which are upon you, will strengthen you in the 
hour of temptation ; and it may also encourage 
your humble boldness and freedom in coming to 
him, under the character and relation of your 
covenant God and Father, as future circum- 
stances may require. 

2. If you consider the character of God as the 
Creator and Governor of the world — as the Ben- 
efactor and merciful Saviour of his sinful crea- 
tures — you will feel disposed to do this, and to 
do it cheerfully. And remember that the Lord 
loveth a cheerful giver. 

3. This surrender must be as entire as it is 
cheerful. All you are, and all you have, and 
all you can do ; your time, your possessions, 
your influence over others, must be devoted to 
him, that for the future every thing may be em- 
ployed entirely for him and to his glory. 

4. And let me remind you, that this surren- 
der must be perpetual. You must give your- 
self up to God in such a manner as never 
more to pretend that you are your own ; for 
the claims of God are, like his nature, eternal 
and immutable ; and with regard to his rational 

4 


50 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


creatures, are the same yesterday , to-day , and for 
ever. 

5. I would farther advise that this dedication 
be made with all possible solemnity. Do it in 
express words. And it is expedient, as Dr. 
Doddridge remarks, to do it, if practicable, in 
writing. Set your hand and seal to it, that on 
such a day of such a month and year, and in 
such a place, on full consideration and reflection, 
you came to this happy resolution, that whatever 
others might do, you would serve the Lord. 

6. Such an instrument you may, if you choose, 
draw up for yourself, or if you prefer to have it 
drawn up to your hand, you may find something 
of this nature below, which you can adopt as 
your own, and in which you can make such al- 
terations as will suit your circumstances, where 
there is anything peculiar in them. But what- 
ever form of covenant you use, weigh it well, 
meditate intensely upon it, that you may “ not be 
rash with your mouth to utter any thing before 
God,” Eccl. v, 2. And when you execute this 
instrument, let it be with more than ordinary re- 
tirement, and with fasting and prayer ; afid when 
your mind is prepared by a due sense of the 
glory and awful majesty of Jehovah, with an 
humble confidence in his goodness, then present 
yourself on your knees before God, and read it 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


51 


over deliberately and solemnly; and when you 
have signed it, lay it by in some secure place, 
that you may review it whenever you please, 
and make it a rule to do so some time during 
the week preceding the sacrament of the Lord’s 
supper, and on other occasions, as you may 
judge the interest of your soul requires. 

7. And may God grant that you may be en- 
abled to keep the covenant thus made, and in 
the whole of your conversation to walk accord- 
ing to it. May it be an anchor to your soul in 
every temptation, and a cordial to it in every 
affliction ! May the recollection of it embolden 
your addresses to the throne of grace now, and 
give additional strength to your departing spirit, 
in the fullest confidence that it is ascending to 
your covenant God and Father, and to that gra- 
cious Redeemer whose power and faithfulness 
will surely keep what you have committed to 
him until that day! 2 Tim. i, 12. 

An example of self-dedication ; or a solemn form of rcneio- 
ing covenant with God. 

“ Eternal and unchangeable God, thou great 
Creator of heaven and earth, and Lord of angels 
and men ! I desire, with the deepest humilia- 
tion and abasement of soul, to fall down in thy 


52 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


awful presence, deeply penetrated with a sense 
of thy glorious perfections. 

“ Trembling may well take hold upon me 
when I, a sinful worm, presume to lift up my 
soul to thee on such an occasion as this. Who 
am I, O Lord God, or what is my nature and 
descent, my character and desert, that I should 
speak of this, and be one party in the covenant, 
where thou, the King of kings, and Lord of 
lords, art the other? But, O Lord, great as is 
thy majesty, so also is thy mercy. And I know 
that in and through Jesus Christ, the Son of thy 
love, thou con'descendest to visit sinful mortals, 
and to allow their approach to thee, and their 
engaging in covenant with thee : nay, I know 
that thou hast instituted the covenant relation be- 
tween thee and me, and that thou hast gracious- 
ly sent to propose it to me. I am unworthy of 
thy smallest favours ; and having sinned against 
thee, I have forfeited all right of stipulation in 
my own name, and thankfully accept the condi- 
tions which thy infinite wisdom and goodness 
have appointed, as just, and right, and altoge- 
ther gracious. 

“ And this day do I, with the utmost solemn- 
ity and sincerity, surrender myself to thee, de- 
siring nothing so much as to be wholly thine. I 
renounce all former lords that have had dominion 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


53 


over me ; and I consecrate to thee all that I am, 
and all that I have ; the faculties of my mind, the 
members of my body, my worldly possessions, 
my time, and my influence with others ; to be 
all used entirely for thy glory, and resolutely em- 
ployed in obedience to thy commands, as long 
as thou shalt continue my life; ever holding 
myself in an attentive posture to observe the 
first intimations 'of thy will, and ready, with 
alacrity and zeal, to execute it, whether it re- 
lates to thee, to myself, or my fellow creatures. 

“ To thy direction, also, I resign myself, and 
all I am and have, to be disposed of by thee in 
such a manner as thou shalt in infinite wisdom 
judge most for thy glory. To thee I leave the 
management of all events, and say, without re- 
serve, ‘ Thy will he done' 

“ And I hereby resolve to take thee for my 
supreme good and all-suflicient portion ; that I 
will acknowledge no God but thee, the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost ; that I will depend 
alone on the mediation of thy dearly beloved Son, 
for wisdom , righteousness , sanctification, and re - 
demotion. ‘ And may it please thee, from this 
day forward, to number me with thy peculiar 
people. Wash me in the blood of thy dear Son, 
and sanctify me throughout by the power of thy 
Spirit,’ that I may love thee with all my heart, 


54 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


and serve thee with a willing mind. ‘ Commu- 
nicate to me, I beseech thee, all needful influ- 
ences of thy purifying, thy cheering, and thy 
comforting Spirit; and lift up that light of thy 
countenance upon me,’ which shall put joy and 
gladness into my soul. 

“ And when I shall have done and borne thy 
will upon earth, call me from hence at what 
time, and in what manner thou pleasest ; only 
grant, that, in my dying moments, and in the near 
prospect of eternity, I may remember these my 
engagements to thee, and may employ my latest 
breath in thy service ; and do thou, Lord, when 
thou seest the agonies of dissolving nature upon 
me, remember this covenant, too, even though I 
should be incapable of recollecting it. Look 
down, O heavenly Father, with a pitying eye 
upon thy languishing, thy dying child ; place 
thy everlasting arms under me for my support ; 
put strength and confidence into my departing 
spirit, and receive it to the embraces of thy ever- 
lasting love ! Welcome it to the abodes of them 
that sleep in Jesus, to wait with them that glo- 
rious day, when the last of thy promises, to thy 
covenant people, shall be fulfilled in their resur- 
rection, and to that abundant entrance which 
shall be ministered to them into that everlasting 
kingdom, of which thou hast assured them by 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


55 


thy covenant, and in the hope of which I now- 
lay hold on it, designing to live and die as with 
my hand upon it. Amen, amen .” — Rise and 
Progress of Religion, by Dr. Doddridge, 

i 

| The above form of a covenant expresses 
chiefly, as it ought to do, the duties and engage- 
ments of the convert who enters into covenant 
with his God. It implies, also, his highest and 
most exalted privilege, while the infinite Jeho- 
vah stoops to the condition of his poor, sinful 
creature. Though God and man are found in 
covenant with each other, it is not on the ground 
of mutual rights. Man can claim no equality 
with God, nor has he any rights for which he 
can stipulate in his own person. God, as his 
sovereign, prescribes the conditions on his part, 
as well as on his own. Yet the conditions pre- 
scribed for man are the best that could be. They 
are such as infinite wisdom and goodness dic- 
tated. They are none other than the conditions 
of his eternal salvation. And when he comes 
to see their fitness in a proper light, he estimates 
them as infinitely precious, and would not change 
one of them if he might. He sees that they are 
all holy, just, and good, and adapted to make 
him holy and everlastingly happy. They bring 
him into favour and fellowship with God, rais- 


56 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


ing him from the degradation of the fall, to walk 
with God here, and to reign with him hereafter. 
The covenant relation between God and man, 
founded on the mediation of Jesu3 Christ, is the 
sublimest object that finite minds were ever 
called to contemplate, and will continue to pro- 
duce wonder and delight, and to inspire songs 
of gratitude and praise to all eternity. 

The conditions of this covenant, on man’s 
part, are, briefly, repentance toward God, faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ, and obedience, through 
grace, to all gospel precepts. And on the part 
of God, we have this glorious covenant promise, 
“ I will be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after 
thee.” In this promise we have all that we can 
desire ; so that we may truly say, 

“ My God, my portion, and my love, 

My everlasting all ; 

I’ve none but thee in heaven above, 

Or on this earthly ball.” 

It is impossible for us to think of a real want 
for which provision is not made in the covenant 
instituted by God with his people, and confirmed 
through the blood of atonement. Here God 
engages to forgive our sins, and to renew us after 
his own most blessed image in righteousness 
and true holiness ; — to lead us into all truth ; — 
to deliver us when we are tempted ; — to support 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


57 


us in all our tribulations ; — to chastise us in love 
when we err ; — to forgive our short comings in 
duty ; — -and to overrule all things for our good 
here, and to make all things work out for us a 
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 
Whatever there is in the work of creation and 
redemption, in nature or grace, that is valuable ; 
whatsoever there is in infinite wisdom, goodness, 
and power ; whatever there is in the adorable 
perfections, offices, and titles of the Son of God ; 
all that is implied in the mysterious relation of 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, — all, all is ours 
by covenant promise. God binds himself in the 
most gracious and expressive manner to do every 
thing for us that we need to have done. Hav- 
ing given his own most dearly beloved Son to 
die for us, when we were sinners and enemies 
against him, how shall he not with him also 
freely give us all things ? 

0 wonderful grace and condescension of the 
Deity ! that he should bind himself, that he 
should engage by covenant to do all these things 
for us ! These promises and covenant engage- 
ments the convert may at all times plead, when 
he comes humbly and boldly to the throne of 
grace, and he shall not plead in vain. 

Especially when the Christian is oppressed 
with a sense of his wants and imperfections, 


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THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


and hungers and thirsts after righteousness, let 
him plead the promises of his covenant God, 
and he shall not be sent empty away* So far 
from it, that he will say to him, “ All that I have 
is theirs,” — “ Ask and receive, that your joy may 
be full.” For if “ ye, being evil, know how to 
give good gifts to your children, how much more 
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit 
to them that ask him ;” and with the Spirit he 
will give righteousness and peace. 

Moreover, the Christian, who has dedicated 
his household to God, and has instructed them 
in all the duties and privileges of their covenant 
relation to him, may plead the promises of the 
covenant, and God will hear him, well pleased, 
and grant him his request. 

On the whole, there is no light in which the 
relation between God and the convert can be so 
profitably contemplated by the latter, as by re- 
ferring to the solemnity of a covenant, or con- 
tract, by which the parties are mutually bound 
to each other. This will constantly impress 
him with the duties and obligations lying upon 
him, and give him confidence in all his ap- 
proaches to the Deity, and access to all the 
riches of his grace. In all his addresses to the 
throne of grace let him reflect that he addresses 
his covenant God, who has promised to hear him 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 59 

when he prays, and to give him strength ac- 
cording to his day ; to attend him at all times 
with his own presence, and especially to be 
with him in the valley and shadow of death, to 
conduct him safely through, and bring him to 
his desired and eternal rest. 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE DUTY OF JOINING THE CHURCH URGED UPON 

THE CONVERT. 

The young convert, having obtained an evi- 
dence of his acceptance with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ, and having entered heartily 
into covenant with God, to serve him all his 
days, and with all his heart, is supposed to be 
desirous of knowing how he may please and 
glorify him in all things. The desire of his 
heart is, “ What I know not, that teach thou 
me.” And when he knows the will of God, he 
yields an instant and cheerful compliance, and 
finds it his meat and his drink to do so. He is 
solicitous to learn the first principles of the doc- 
trine of Christ, (as the student learns the rudi- 
ments of science for the higher branches,) and 
to go on to perfection. Nothing will satisfy him 


60 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


now but perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 
He bums with desire to glorify God, who has 
brought him out of darkness into his marvellous 
light. He desires also to be of service to his 
fellow creatures in every possible way, as well 
as to make his own calling and election sure. 

And it is of the utmost importance to start 
right in this heavenly race. Many, after run- 
ning awhile, grow tired, and faint by the way. 
This, in many cases, is the fruit of the instruc- 
tion they have received. They are given to 
understand that there is nothing higher to be 
enjoyed, in this life, than a good hope. At least 
they stop here, and the consequence is, their 
love soon grows cold, or they become lukewarm, 
and have their first work to do over again, or 
perhaps apostatize, and never return to the way 
of duty and peace. Many teachers set holiness 
before the young convert as a duty they owe to 
God, but withhold the motives necessary to sti- 
mulate him to the pursuit of it. They give him 
no assurance that he shall obtain, even though 
he seek it with all his heart. They teach that 
the highest state of holiness attainable on earth 
is described by the apostle in Romans vii, 14- 
25, and consists in opposing sin, while we are 
continually overcome by it. They thus defeat 
their own object, for one cannot perfect holiness 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


61 


without faith. But this holiness is promised ; 
and under the influence of motives which the 
gospel affords, faith may lay hold on it and re- 
alize it. The convert will then be able to say, 
“ I walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 
“ I am crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life 
which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith 
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave him- 
self for me.” 

A pleasant path now lies before the young 
Christian, which, having entered upon, he should 
continue to the end of life. While warm in his 
first love, let him contemplate his duty to God, 
to his fellow creatures, and to himself ; and his 
whole soul will easily and strongly incline to 
the whole work which is assigned him in the 
vineyard of the Lord. He cannot be too soon 
in entering fully on the Christian life. Life, at 
the longest, is but a brief period, and not too 
much, in its greatest extent, to be devoted to the 
'service of God. No one ever regretted doing 
too much. But it might well fill one with fear 
and trembling, with horror and amazement, to 
think of putting off his God with the mere dregs 
of old age, and of crowding the concerns of his 
soul into the last, uncertain, transient moments 
of his earthly existence. If possible, let the 


62 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

whole work of preparation be done to-day, that 
you may have nothing to do but wait the coming 
of your Master, and then enter into rest. 

Besides, the young Christian not only has 
more time, by setting out early in the morning 
of life, but he has the advantage of a flexibility 
of mind, peculiar to youth, and which is of the 
utmost importance in forming the habits of piety 
and virtue. On this account chiefly it has been 
said, that the foundation of whatever profession 
one designs to follow through life, must, if he 
would attain to eminence, be laid before he is 
eighteen years old. It is almost impossible to 
correct the habits of loose thinking, false rea- 
soning, doubting, disbelieving, &c., which are 
formed in early life. 

Deep and uniform devotion constitute the most 
efficient and salutary discipline of the mind ; 
and give it health and strength; and if the habits 
of virtue and piety are not found in early life, it 
is a wonder if they are ever found in that per- 
fection which is desirable. Many men And it 
impossible to study closely, to fix their thoughts 
in time of prayer, and while sitting under the 
preached word ; and find fault with the structure 
of their minds, as though God had been less 
kind to them than to others ; when the whole 
fault is in themselves, in their not having culti- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


63 


vated the habits of piety in youth with sufficient 
care. The study of mathematics is much thought 
of in colleges as a discipline for the mind. But 
it never was, and never can be as valuable in 
this respect as universal, uniform, and ardent 
piety. In true piety there is sufficient variety 
of objects — objects the most sublime and inter- 
esting, to engage, without wearying, the atten- 
tion. Here wonder, delight, and joy, find ample 
scope, while we contemplate the perfections of 
the Deity, his works, and his grace, and the 
important relation he bears to us. To become 
acquainted with the character of the Deity, is 
the duty and business of the present life. The 
convert is supposed to have come to that stage 
in the Christian life where he derives instruc- 
tion in every duty, and is ready to devote him- 
self entirely to the will of God ; and his atten- 
tion is now invited to the duty of joining himself 
to the church of God , as an important means of 
holiness. 

Some people, after their conversion, neglect 
to join the church till they bring trials upon 
themselves, and feel a reluctance to making a 
public profession of religion, as that is a new 
relation, attended with new duties and trials ; 
and after walking uncomfortably for a time, go 
back, and join affinity with the world. Others 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


neglect this duty from an unwillingness tcvbear 
the cross, or suffer reproach for Christ’s sake. 
And others again are so connected in business 
and friendship with opposers of religion, that 
they are kept back through fear of suffering in 
their property, if they offend their employers. 
Many seem to think they may enjoy religion as 
well without making a public profession, and 
thus save themselves the reproach and trials 
which that would bring upon them. Not a few 
seem to think it optional with themselves whe- 
ther to join the church or not ; and they can 
easily persuade themselves that they are not 
worthy. But these persons reason falsely, and 
depart from the way of duty. Seldom, if ever, 
has one who thus consulted his carnal reason, 
continued to walk with God, and enjoy the com- 
forts of the Holy Ghost. And the reason is ob- 
vious ; they make light of the institution of 
Christ. Christ has instituted the church for the 
benefit of his people. This was done long be. 
fore he came in the flesh, or admitted his peo- 
ple into covenant with him. And the first con- 
verts after his crucifixion were “ added to the 
church,” — “ the Lord added unto the church such 
as should he saved” Acts ii, 47. Here observe, 
that the Lord added the converts to the church. 
Hence it was his will that they should belong 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


G5 


to the church. And this was the state of things 
when the Christians had every thing to fear from 
a public profession of his religion. So after- 
ward, during the times of the most bloody perse- 
cution, the Christians continued their profession 
of, and adherence to, their religion, when a dif- 
ferent course would have saved their lives. 

The church is the kingdom of Christ, and it 
is the duty of all his people to rally round his 
standard, and support the interests of his cause. 
Christ is waging war against the world, the flesh, 
and the devil ; and shall we desert his banner ? 
Shall we “ blush to own his name ?” Is this 
worthy and becoming conduct on our part ? Is 
this to requite him, as we ought, for his labours 
and sufferings for our redemption ? What is this 
but to deny him, to betray him, and crucify him 
afresh ? Well may we ask, “ Who is on the 
Lord’s side V’ Let him come out from the world, 
and join the people of God. And thus will he 
do who is truly desirous of knowing and doing 
the will of Christ. 

In another view of this subject, the church is 
the house of God, and its members are his 
household. He is present as a father in this 
house, to manage all its concerns, to guide all 
its members, to regulate all its affairs, to com- 
pose any differences that may arise, to sympa- 


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THE CONVERT'S GUIDE., 


thise with any that may be afflicted, and to at- 
tend to the interests of all. 

This house is the home of the poor, the op- 
pressed, the afflicted. Weary of the noise and 
contentions of the world, gladly do they seek the 
retirement of the sacred enclosure, where all is 
peace and harmony, where love and friendship 
reign, where they are greeted with smiles and 
kindness, where all is sympathy and freedom — 

“ While kind designs to serve and please 
Through all their actions run.” 

The labour of love employs the assiduous at- 
tention of every member of the family ; each 
watches over all the others for their good to edi- 
fication ; instruction and reproof are given and 
taken in love. If any one has erred, he is for- 
given and restored in the spirit of meekness. 
And thus “ evil is overcome with good.” 

Should the convert reply, that this is a fan- 
cied, rather than the real state of the church, the 
answer is ready. It is the design of God that 
the church should be all this, and more ; and 
if it be not, you are to join and assist in making 
it what it should be. Why should any one ex- 
pect a perfect state of the church without his 
effort to make and keep it so ? But this is not 
a fancied representation. Such was the first 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


67 


Christian church at Jerusalem, when all that 
believed were of one heart and soul. Such have 
been many churches in different ages, and such, 
in a degree, are all evangelical churches now. 
And such the whole church must be, and will 
be, when she shall become universal, and fill 
the whole earth. Nearly all the real charity, 
benevolence, and piety found among men, are 
now in the church of Christ, and are appointed, 
one day, to cover the whole earth. Happy day! 
May it be hastened ! 

The exalted privileges of the church, no 
doubt imply an obligation, on the part of its 
members, to seek its edification and enlarge- 
ment. And hence the members of the church 
stand in covenant relation to each other ; every 
one is bound to labour for the increase of the 
holiness and happiness of the whole body. She 
holds the charter of her privileges and blessings 
in her right hand, and in her left the rules of 
faith and practice by which she is to be directed 
and governed. Those who accept the one, do 
thereby come under the other, and bind them- 
selves to walk as Christ has shown them both 
by precept and example. 

On coming into the church the young convert 
should lose no time in informing himself both as 
to his privileges and duties. And he is allowed 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


a time of probation for this purpose, that he may 
have opportunity for information, reflection, and 
deliberation, before he becomes a member in 
full connection. Should any thing appear dark 
to him, he is, with prayer, to consult the word 
of God, and those who have the oversight of the 
flock. He will thus be prepared to act under- 
standingly, and to take his membership with the 
entire approbation of his own mind, and that of 
his Saviour. 

And if he does not find every thing in the 
lives of his brethren as he would, he must hold 
fast his character and his rules, and endeavour 
to bring all to the observance of them. And 
while he is thus doing, let him be careful that 
he does not lay stumbling stones in the way of 
others. He must walk in all the command- 
ments and ordinances of God blameless. He 
must show that he estimates highly all his pri- 
vileges. He must evince a conscientious re- 
gard for all the means of grace, — a regard even 
for the smallest duties, as well as for the greater. 
It was of such the Saviour said, “ These ought 
ye to have done, and not to leave the other (the 
smaller) undone .” The sincere convert will not 
think it a needless strictness, to be plain and self- 
denied in his dress, food, manner of living, and 
in all that he does. He will not follow the 


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69 


fashions and maxims of the world, but will seek 
to be “transformed by the renewing of his mind, 
that he may prove what is that good, and accept- 
able, and perfect will of God.” 

He will not think it bondage to be under rules. 
Nay, he would regard him as an enemy who 
would persuade him that Christian liberty is 
freedom from the restraint of salutary rules. 
Having examined thoroughly the rules of the 
church, and found them perfectly Scriptural, as 
every one will who compares them with the 
word of God, he adopts them for his own, and 
resolutely walks by them. 

In these rules there is nothing exclusive or 
sectarian, that would prevent his embracing, in 
the arms of Christian fellowship, the whole 
household of faith, by whatever name they may 
be called. And having thus connected himself 
with the church of Christ, he is careful to give 
no offence in any thing. It would wound him 
to grieve the weakest child of God. It would 
fill him with sorrow to be the occasion of re- 
proach to that cause which he loves better than 
life. He does not feel as though the church was 
under obligation to him, because he has joined 
her communion ; but he feels that he is a debtor 
to all, to please all for their good to edification. 
Having covenanted with the people of God to 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


walk and work with them, he loves her institu- 
tions, which have for their object the instruction 
of her children, the conversion of the world, and 
the universal diffusion of Biblical and all useful 
knowledge. Nor will he object, that these re- 
quire too great a sacrifice of personal feeling 
and interest. 

In a word, the church is his mother, the mem- 
bers are his brothers and sisters, and all have 
one common interest, and are bound together in 
bonds of sweetest fellowship and love. 


CHAPTER V. 

BAPTISM, AS CONNECTED WITH A PROFESSION 
OF RELIGION. 

Section I . — Nature and subjects of baptism. 

Ever since God has had a visible church upon 
earth, he has admitted its members by a religious 
rite. Thus circumcision was the rite of initia- 
tion into the Jewish church, under the law, and 
baptism is the rite of initiation into the Chris- 
tian church, under the gospel. 

There are several things connected with this 
subject, concerning which it is supposed the 
young convert wishes for information. We will, 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 71 

therefore, hear his questions, and endeavour in. 
the love of truth to answer them. 

Convert . What am I to understand by the 
Christian ordinance of baptism ? 

Minister. It is that religious ceremony, or rite, 
by which we are initiated into the church of 
Christ. 

Con. Is baptism, of itself, a saving ordinance, 
or does it confer the grace of God ? 

Min. Baptism, of itself, is not a saving ordi- 
nance, nor does it necessarily confer the grace 
of God. But God has designed it to be a sign 
and seal of interest in new covenant blessings, 
even as circumcision was the sign and seal of 
the righteousness which Abraham had, through 
faith in Christ Jesus. Rom. iv, 11. 

Con. Why is baptism administered in the name 
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost ? 

Min. Baptism is thus administered for three 
reasons : — 1. To show that the baptized is con- 
secrated and dedicated equally to the Father, to 
the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 2. To show 
that the baptized person has an equal interest 
in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 
3. To show that we have the clearest warrant, the 
authority of the ever blessed Trinity, for dedi- 
cating ourselves to God in view of an interest 
in all new covenant blessings. 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Con. To digress a little. Does this command 
of our blessed Saviour to baptize, teach us any- 
thing relative to the dignity and relation of the 
Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost? 

Min. It does. That the Father is God none 
will deny. It teaches us that the Son and Holy 
Ghost are real persons, and claim equal honours 
with the Father. We can make nothing of the 
command to baptize, without admitting this. It 
would be both absurd and blasphemous to bap- 
tize equally in the name of three persons, if the 
persons themselves were not equal one to an- 
other. And it would be equally absurd and 
blasphemous to baptize in the name of the Holy 
Ghost, if that name does not designate a person; 
for in that case we should baptize in the name 
of two persons, the Father and Son, and in the 
name of something — we are not told what. 
This commission to baptize in the name of three 
persons is therefore a clear proof of the doctrine 
of the Trinity. 

Con. These remarks are entirely satisfacto- 
ry, and I return to our subject. Should not in- 
struction and believing in Christ precede bap- 
tism? 

Min. They should, where the person to be 
baptized is an adult. 

Con. But when our Saviour says, “ He that 


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73 


believeth and is baptized,” &c. — does not the 
condition, “believeth,” exclude infants, who can- 
not believe ? This comes to my own case, as 
I was baptized in my infancy. 

Min. This condition no more excludes infants 
from baptism and the church, than the same 
condition excludes them from salvation. But 
who ever thought that this language, “ He that 
believeth shall be saved,” excludes infants from 
salvation, who, it is admitted, cannot believe? 
When our Saviour gave his disciples commis- 
sion to go to the Gentiles throughout the world, 
and preach the Gospel to every creature, he had 
his eye, first and chiefly, on adults, who were 
to receive instruction, and believe, profess their 
faith in, and adherence to his doctrines, before 
they were baptized. And the same is to be ob- 
served of proselytes to the Jewish faith. They 
were to receive instruction, and profess faith in 
the covenant of promise, before they were cir- 
cumcised. But this we know did not prevent 
the circumcision of infants, who were required 
to be circumcised on the eighth day from the 
birth. See Gen. xvii, 12. 

Con. I have heard it said that infants, in order 
to be baptized, must be expressly mentioned as 
having a right to that ordinance. 

Min. Many things are said which Christ hath 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


not said. Christ has nowhere said, in express 
terms, that the sabbath is changed from the 
seventh to the first day of the week, and no- 
where has he said that females have a right to 
the Lord’s supper. Yet these points, following 
from acknowledged principles and rules of Scrip- 
ture interpretation, are held and believed, by 
Christians in general, to be truly Scriptural. 
And so of infant baptism : only I would observe, 
that the evidence in favour of the latter is much 
stronger than that of the two former points. 

Con. I wish to hear what you have to say as 
to the general ground on which infant baptism 
rests. 

Min. The ground of infant baptism is so broad, 
and includes so much, that an epitomized view 
of it will be all that I can give in this place. 
The general ground of infant baptism is their 
relation to Christ, and their acknowledged in- 
terest in new covenant blessings. All mankind 
fell in Adam, the source of human nature, and 
derived a defective and sinful nature from him. 
Inspiration informs us that “ by the disobedience 
of one, Adam, many were made sinners and 
“ that by the offence of one,” Adam, “ judgment 
came upon all men to condemnation and “ that 
even so, by the righteousness of one,” Christ , 
“ the free gift has come upon all men unto jus- 


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75 


tification of life,” and made all, in that sense, 
“ righteous.” Whatever the apostle may mean 
besides, his words must be taken as implying thus 
much — that the injury mankind sustained by the 
fall of Adam is repaired by Christ. This the 
Scriptures abundantly teach. “ He hath redeem- 
ed us from the curse of the law, being made a 
curse for us.” — “ He, by the grace of God, 
tasted death for every man.” — “ He became a 
propitiation for the sins of the whole world.” 
Hence infants belong to Christ as his redeemed 
ones. Christ acknowledged their relation to 
him, took them in his arms, blessed them, and 
said, “ Of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And 
if Jesus thus publicly acknowledged their rela- 
tion to him, the church ought to do the same. 
But how can the church do this, except by de- 
dicating them to him, or admitting them into his 
kingdom, the church, by baptism, the same as 
believing adults are admitted ? Infants as truly 
belong to Christ as believing adults, until they 
forfeit their relation by voluntary transgression. 
Agreeably to this view, God told Abraham that 
in his seed, “ which is Christ,” all nations, and 
“ all the families of the earth, should be blessed.” 
Accordingly he proceeded to institute his cove- 
nant, the covenant of grace, with that patriarch, 
and to organize a church in his family, into 


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which infants were expressly admitted on the 
eighth day from the birth. This state of things 
continued four hundred and thirty years, to the 
giving of the law by Moses, when it was incor- 
porated into the law, and continued till Christ 
came. See Gal. iii, 17. He then removed the 
middle wall of partition, which had so long stood 
between Jews and Gentiles, and admitted the 
latter into covenant, not with curtailed, but en- 
larged privileges. 

Con. Did Jesus Christ, when upon earth, ex- 
plicitly recognise infants as belonging to his 
kingdom, or church ? 

Min. He certainly did, and that in no ambig- 
uous language. “ And they brought young 
children unto him that he should touch them ; 
and his disciples rebuked those that brought 
them. But when Jesus saw it he was much 
displeased, and said, Suffer the little children to 
come unto me, and forbid them not : for of such 
is the kingdom of God.” — “ And he took them 
up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and 
blessed them,” Mark x, 13, 14, 16; Matt, xix, 
13, 15; and Luke xviii, 15, where these little 
children are called infants. You will please to 
remark here, 1. That infants are recognised as 
belonging to the kingdom of Christ. 2. That 
this had been the case from the days of Abra- 


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77 


ham. 3. That this kingdom, containing adults 
and infants, was afterward, for their infidelity, 
taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles. 
Matt, xxi, 43. 4. That if infants have a right 

to church membership, they have also a right to 
baptism ; seeing that it is the door into the visi- 
ble church, as we learn from circumstances at- 
tending the three thousand on the day of pen- 
tecost, who were directed to be baptized, and 
thereby, on the same day, were added to the 
church. Acts ii, 41. 5. We hav.e here an an- 

swer to those who say the New Testament is 
silent respecting infants, as connected with this 
subject. If indeed the New Testament were 
silent respecting infant church membership, we 
should be obliged to receive them ; because they 
were once constituted members by God himself, 
and their right to church membership has never 
been disannulled. But the New Testament is 
so far from being silent on the subject, that Je- 
sus Christ does expressly recognise infants as 
belonging to the church, or his kingdom. 

Con. All this appears quite clear and consist- 
ent. But there is one tiling I have thought 
much of. It is said that “ baptism is not the 
putting away the filth of the flesh, but the 
answer of a good conscience.” But how 
can baptism be the answer of a good con- 


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science, when tlie subject has no conscience, 
good or bad ? 

Min. The meaning, I apprehend, is not that 
we are baptized in obedience to a good con- 
science, but that baptism is the means of obtain- 
ing a good conscience, while it shows us our 
interest in the favour of God, and dedicates us 
to his holy service. Permit me to ask, Do you 
voluntarily submit to the obligations implied in 
your baptism, and receive the grace and mercy 
of which it is -the sign and the seal ? 

Con. I do most heartily. 

Min. By thus doing, you make your baptism 
virtually your own act, your conscience is puri- 
fied from dead works, and you receive all the 
privileges and blessings connected with, or im- 
plied in baptism, as fully as though you were 
baptized to-day ; and to be baptized again, would 
add nothing to your grace or holiness. If more 
proofs were necessary to show you the validity 
of infant baptism, I might refer you to the ac- 
counts of household baptisms, recorded in the 
New Testament, as that of Cornelius, Acts x, 
44-48 ; that of the jailer, Acts xvi, 33 ; that of 
Lydia, Acts xvi, 15; and that of Stephanas, 
1 Cor. i, 16. Now, if we take from households 
promiscuously, there is a high probability that 
we shall find children and infants in some or jail 


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79 


of them. And in view of this probability, would 
the inspired writers have told us, that they bap- 
tized whole households, without informing us 
that there were no infants in them, if such were 
the fact ; or that they did not baptize infants, if 
they were of the household? To mention the 
baptizing of households, is the way to make U3 
believe they baptized infants, unless they tell 
us they did not, or that there were no infants in 
them. 

Con . I see the subject in a clear and inter- 
esting light, and am fully satisfied that infants 
have a right to baptism. 

Section II . — The mode of baptism. 

Con. There is another branch of this subject, 
namely, the mode of baptism, respecting which I 
have some difficulties. Will you have the good- 
ness to hear my queries, and answer them, as 
you have done on the other part of this subject? 

Min. Any thing in my power I will gladly do 
for your edification. Propose your difficulties 
with freedom. 

Con. Does the Greek word baptizo invari- 
ably mean plunging ? 

Min. It does not. It is used to express the 
various ablutions or washings among the Jews, 


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such as sprinkling, pouring, &c., Heb. ix, 10; 
for the custom of washing the hands before 
meals, and the washing of household furniture, 
“ cups, pots, brazen vessels, and tables.” The 
hands might be immersed ; but if water was 
poured on them, or they were held under a spout, 
they were baptized as truly as if they were im- 
mersed. Small vessels, as “ cups,” might be 
plunged, but it is altogether improbable that “ ta- 
bles” were. It is evident from hence, that the 
word does not express the manner of doing the 
thing, whether by immersion, sprinkling, or 
pouring, but only the thing done, that is, wash- 
ing. It nowhere signifies exclusively to dip ; 
and the mode is only the ceremonial part of a 
positive institute, just as in the Lord’s supper the 
time of day, the number and posture of the com- 
municants, the quantity and quality of the bread 
and wine, are circumstances not essential to the 
ordinance. 

Con. But if the word baptizo does not neces- 
sarily mean to plunge, yet should we not fol- 
low the example of Christ, who was baptized 
by John in Jordan? Was he not baptized by 
plunging ? 

Min. In answering your queries several things 
must be noticed. We must follow Christ in 
every thing that was intended as an example for 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 81 

us. But it is very clear that the baptism of 
Christ was not, and could not be intended as 
an example for us to follow. Jesus Christ 
was not baptized with John’s baptism, though 
he was baptized by John. John’s baptism was 
the baptism of repentance ; and those who re- 
ceived it acknowledged themselves sinners, 
and bound themselves to repent of, and for- 
sake sin. But this baptism, thus adapted to 
the circumstances of guilty sinners, could not 
be administered to, or received by one who never 
sinned, and who could not repent. John’s bap- 
tism farther required, that they who received it 
“ should believe on him who was to come after 
him, that is, on Jesus Christ.” But could the 
immaculate Son of God be bound to repent, and 
believe on a Saviour to come- after him ? John 
saw that he could not administer the same bap- 
tism to Christ which he administered to guilty 
sinners ; and therefore, when he saw the Son 
of God come to him, he objected, saying, “ I 
have need to be baptized of thee, and comest 
thou to me ?” Jesus replied, “ Suffer it to be so 
now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all right- 
eousness.” That is, it became him to honour 
John’s mission and ministry; and more espe- 
cially as he was the “ High Priest of our pro- 
fession,” (see Heb. iii, 1,) it became him, as 
6 


82 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

he was about to enter on the duties of his office, 
to be consecrated by washing the body in wa- 
ter, as the priests were consecrated under the 
law, (see Leviticus viii, 5, 6 ;) and as John was 
an extraordinary messenger sent from God, and 
the only prophet of his day, he was a suitable 
person to do it. And when he understood the 
design of our Saviour, he “ suffered him.” Far- 
ther : our Saviour says, it “ became him to 
fulfil all righteousness to observe every right - 
eous ordinance . Accordingly we find, that he 
kept the passover, the feast of tabernacles, &c. 
Of course it might reasonably be expected that 
he would be baptized, as were the priests under 
the law. But if he was not baptized to fulfil 
this ordinance, he never did fulfil it, nor was any 
rite performed or received by him as a conse- 
cration to office. His own ordinance of bap- 
tism did not now exist, nor did he give it till 
after his resurrection from the dead. From all 
which it is plain, that his baptism was not in- 
tended as an example for us. 

Con. This, I think, is made quite clear. 

Min. But this is not all. John’s baptism was 
not Christian baptism. His ministry formed a 
dispensation by itself. He was an extraordinary 
messenger , sent to prepare the way of the Lord , 
to announce the Messiah, and to call attention 


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83 


to him. It will follow from hence, if the remark 
be supported, that we have nothing to do in the 
way of practising John’s baptism. As far as 
appears from the New Testament, John did not 
baptize in the name of the Trinity; but Chris- 
tian baptism is always administered in the name 
of the F ather, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
There is one remark to be made here, which is 
of great importance, as it is sufficient of itself to 
settle this question for ever. It is this : Jesus 
had not manifested himself, when John entered 
on the work of the ministry. John said, “ I 
knew him not.” Of course, — and this we find 
to be the fact, — his baptism was prospective. 
He directed those baptized by him, to “ believe 
on him who was to come after him, that is, on 
Christ Jesus.” But Christian baptism is retro- 
spective, and looks back to the actual death and 
resurrection of Christ. Can you suppose, that 
that would be Christian baptism which should 
direct the subject to look to a Saviour yet to 
come 1 But such was John’s baptism. On the 
contrary, even those who are the most tenacious 
of the mode of plunging, build it on a profession 
of faith, — not that Christ will come, but that he 
has come, and died, and risen from the dead. 
And the strongest argument for plunging is pro- 
fessedly built on an allusion to the death and 


84 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

resurrection of Christ — “ buried with him in 
baptism.” 

Con. This is a view of the subject I have not 
before taken, and it shows strikingly the differ- 
ence between John’s baptism and that of Christ. 

Min. I will use but one argument more on 
this point. Many of those who were baptized 
by John, were afterward baptized with Christian 
baptism ; which would not have been done if the 
baptism of John had been the same with that of 
Christ. You may recollect, that St. Paul found 
certain disciples at Ephesus, and said unto 
them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since 
ye believed? And they said, We have not 
heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And 
he said, Unto what then were ye baptized? 
And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said 
Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of 
repentance, saying unto the people, that they 
should believe on him which should come after 
him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard 
this they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus,” Acts xix, 1-7. Here we have twelve 
men who were baptized the second time. But 
none are to be baptized twice with the same 
baptism. The same may be said of the three 
thousand who were baptized on the day of pen- 
tecost. Many of these at least must have been 


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85 


baptized by John. For it is said, “ There went 
out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, &c., and 
were baptized of him in Jordan,” &c., Matt, iii, 
5, 6. Now if we take three thousand persons 
promiscuously out of Jerusalem, it is morally 
certain that we shall have some, at least, who 
had been baptized before. And then it follows, 
that the baptism of John, and that of Christ, 
were two distinct baptisms. 

Con. But allowing all this, does not the lan- 
guage of Scripture, in several places, favour the 
idea of immersion ? It is said that they were 
baptized “ in Jordan.” And of Philip and the 
eunuch it is said, “ They went down both into 
the water, and came up out of the water.” 

Min. The language, “ They went down into 
the water,” is not proof of immersion ; for they 
went down both into the water.” And I ask, 
cannot a person go jown into the water without 
being immersed in it ? 

Can. Most certainly. 

Min. The Greek preposition eis, translated 
into, often signifies to, or unto. See Matt, xv, 
24; Romans x, 10; Acts xxviii, 14; Matt, iii, 
1 1 . And then you want other evidence besides 
that of the phrase, “ they went down both into 
the water,” to prove immersion. It has often 
been remarked, that the Greek en, in, is more 


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than a hundred times, in the New Testament, 
rendered at ; and in a hundred and fifty others 
is translated with. If it be rendered so here, 
John baptized at Jordan, or with the water of 
Jordan, there appears not the shadow of proof 
that he plunged his disciples in it. Jesus, it is 
said, came up out of the water ; but this is no 
proof that he was immersed, as the Greek term, 
apo, signifies from ; for instance, “ Who hath 
warned you to flee, apo , from , (not out of,) the 
-wrath to come ?” Many other passages might 
be mentioned. 

Con. How do you understand the apostle 
when he says, “We are buried with Christ in 
baptism ?” Is not being buried , an allusion to 
the mode of baptism ? 

Min. I do not so understand it. It is not the 
mode of baptism that is here alluded to, but the 
thing signified by baptism. ,As Christ was buried, 
and rose again to a heavenly life, so we by bap- 
tism signify that we are dead to sin, and have a 
new life in Christ Jesus. It is worthy of re- 
mark, that of all the accounts of baptisms which 
the New Testament gives us, there is no inti- 
mation or circumstance that would lead one to 
conclude, that any individual, or assemblage 
of people, ever left the place where they hap- 
pened to be, for the purpose of baptism. If they 


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87 


were in Jerusalem, as the three thousand on the 
day of pentecost ; in a private house, as Cor- 
nelius ; or in a prison, as the jailer; whether 
by day or by night, there, it would seem, they 
were baptized. If this be so, it is good pre- 
sumptive evidence that they were not immersed. 
But as the quantity of water and mode of appli- 
cation are left indefinite in the Scriptures, it is 
optional with the candidate whether to be bap- 
tized by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Ei- 
ther is considered valid by a majority of the 
Christian church, if administered to a proper 
person by a proper administrator, in the name 
of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 

Con. I thank you for the assistance you have 
rendered me, and trust I shall not be troubled 
again on any of these points. 

Min. Should you need farther assistance, any 
of your ministers will render it, or refer you to 
those authors who have treated these subjects 
more at large. 


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CHAPTER VI. 

THE DUTY OF THE CONVERT IN COMING TO THE 
lord’s SUPPER, AND HIS PREPARATION OF 
HIMSELF FOR THAT ORDINANCE. 

There is one duty more for the convert to 
perform before it can be said he has fully en- 
tered on the course set before him. 

The Lord’s supper is an ordinance instituted 
by our Saviour in commemoration of his death 
and sufferings. The deliverance of the ancient 
Israelites from their bondage in Egypt was com- 
memorated in the yearly feast of the passover. 
Our Saviour and his apostles annually observed 
that feast ; and there could not be a more suit- 
able opportunity for establishing an ordinance 
which was to commemorate the infinitely more 
important deliverance of all mankind from the 
bondage of sin. The former deliverance was 
typical of the latter; instead of keeping the 
Jewish passover, which was now to be abro- 
gated, the Christians were to commemorate 
Christ, their passover, who was sacrificed for 
them ; the bread broken was to represent his 
body offered upon the cross ; and the wine 
poured out was to represent his blood, which 
was shed for the salvation of men. And as the 


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89 


celebration of the passover was not only a con- 
stant memorial of the deliverance of the Israel- 
ites from their bondage in Egypt, but also a sym- 
bolical action by which they had a title to the 
blessings of the old covenant; so the celebration 
of the Lord’s supper is not only a constant me- 
morial of the death of Christ, but also a pledge, 
or earnest to the communicant, of the benefits 
promised by the new covenant. As the pass- 
over was instituted the night before the actual 
deliverance of the Israelites, so the Lord’s sup- 
per was instituted the night before the redemp- 
tion of man was accomplished by the crucifixion 
of the blessed Jesus. It is to be partaken of by 
all who look for remission of sins by the death of 
Christ ; and we are not only to cherish that trust 
in our minds, and express it in our devotions, 
but to give an outward proof of our reliance upon 
the merits of his passion, as the means of our 
salvation, by eating that bread and drinking that 
wine, which are typical representations of the 
body and blood of Christ, “ who (by the oblation 
of himself once offered) made a full, perfect, and 
sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for 
the sins of the whole world.” 

The ordinance of the Lord’s supper is fre- 
quently, among Christians, called a sacrament, 
that is, a sign, and an oath; “an outward and 


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visible sign,” says our church, “ of an inward 
and spiritual grace and an oath , by which we 
bind ourselves, in the strongest possible man- 
ner, to the Lord. It is also sometimes called 
the eucharist , that is, a thanksgiving, because 
Christ, in the institution of it, gave thanks. 
1 Cor. xi, 24. 

Concerning the ordinance of the Lord’s sup- 
per, we may observe, that Jesus Christ has not 
left it to our option whether to observe it or not ; 
but has expressed his will in the form of a com- 
mand. Thus we read — 

“ And as they were eating (namely, the pass- 
over) he took bread and blessed it , and brake it , 
and gave it to the disciples , saying , Take, eat; 
this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave 
thanks , and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye 
all of it ; for this is my blood of the new testa- 
ment, which is shed for many for the remission of 
sins," Matt, xxvi, 26-28 ; Mark xiv, 22 ; Luke 
xxii, 19. St. Paul is a little more full: 

“ For I have received of the Lord that which 
also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus , 
the same night in which he was betrayed, took 
bread : and when he had given thanks, he brake it, 
and said, Take, eat ; this is my body, which is 
broken for you : this do in remembrance of me. 


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91 


After the same manner also he took the cup, when 
he had supped, saying, This cup is the new tes- 
tament in my blood : this do ye, as oft as ye shall 
drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as 
ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show 
the Lord's death till he come," 1 Cor. xi, 23-26. 

Thus we see that Jesus Christ has enjoined 
the observance of this ordinance in the most 
solemn and peremptory manner. It is com- 
manded as positively as any thing in the Bible. 
Take, eat ; drink ye all of this. 

And we should observe also, that it is not, 
like baptism, to be observed only once in our 
life-time, but “ often,” — “ as oft as ye do this,” 
<fec. Many of the early Christians observed 
this ordinance every day ; others four times a 
week, and others again every sabbath. The 
general practice of the churches of our day is, 
to observe this once a month. And our blessed 
Saviour has left the frequency of its observance 
to be determined by circumstances. And this 
is all that he has left to our will, or determina- 
tion, about it. 

But, notwithstanding the command is so plain 
and positive, there are many who raise objec- 
tions, and make them excuses for disobeying 
Christ’s command. It will be proper here to 


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consider some of the more plausible objections, 
that we may remove every pretext for diso- 
bedience. 

The most common objection is, “ I am un- 
worthy and 11 He that eateth and drinketh un- 
worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to him- 
self and therefore I dare not receive this or- 
dinance, lest I should eat and drink my own 
damnation. 

As there is something plausible in this objec- 
tion, and many sincere persons, through a mis- 
apprehension of St. Paul’s meaning in the above 
words, have kept back from the Lord’s table, 4 
it will be proper to explain his words, and show 
the occasion of them. 

The Corinthian church had fallen into a rude 
and disorderly method of celebrating the Lord’s 
supper, and it was to correct this abuse of the 
ordinance that St. Paul wrote the above words ; 
to understand which let it be observed, that our 
Saviour, with his disciples, kept the passover, 
which they eat (the Jews always did so) instead 
of a common meal, though religious rites were 
connected with it ; and then proceeded imme- 
diately to institute in its place the sacrament of 
his own supper. Hence the Corinthians took 
the idea (perhaps from some Judaizjng teacher) 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 93 

of blending this sacred ordinance with their own 
supper. 1 Cor. xi. 

To understand this we must observe, First, 
That they had meetings sometimes only for eat- 
ing the Lord’s supper, verse 23. Secondly , That 
to those meetings they brought their own supper , 
verse 21. Thirdly , That though every one’s 
supper was brought into the common assembly, 
yet it was not that they might eat in common, 
for every one fell to eating his own supper by 
himself as soon as it was ready, without waiting 
for the rest of the company, or communicating 
with them in eating, ver. 21-23. In this St. 
Paul blames them for three things especially. 
First, That they eat their common food in the 
assembly, which was to be eaten at home in 
their houses, verses 22-34. Secondly , That 
though they eat in their common meeting-place, 
yet they eat separately, every one his own sup- 
per ; so that the plenty and excess of some 
shamed the want and penury of others, verse 
22. Hereby also the divisions among them 
were kept up, verse 18 ; they being as so many 
separated and divided societies, not as one 
united body of Christians, commemorating their 
common Head, as ought to have been the case 
in celebrating the Lord’s supper, verses 16, 17. 


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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Thirdly , That they mixed the Lord’s supper with 
their own, eating it as a part of their ordinary 
meal, whereby they made not that discrimina- 
tion between it and their common food which 
they ought to have done, verse 29. 

Thus, not discerning the Lord’s body in this 
holy sacrament, — not regarding the nature and 
design of the ordinance, — they indulged in every 
disorder and excess ; one was hungry , and an- 
other was drunken , verse 21. These were the 
abuses which the apostle labours to correct in 
this chapter, and in reference to which he says, 
“ He that eateth and drinketh (thus) unworthily , 
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself” It is 
not easy to conceive of a greater abuse and pro- 
fanation of a sacred ordinance than we find here 
in the conduct of these Corinthians ; and for 
these reasons “ many were weak and sickly among 
them , and many slept,” that is, died. Whether 
these evils befell them as the natural conse- 
quences of their riot and drunkenness, or from 
the immediate judgment of God, or both, we 
know not. “ But it is, perhaps, one of the most 
unhappy mistakes in our version of the Bible, 
that the word krima is rendered damnation. It 
has raised a dread in tender minds, which has 
greatly obstructed the comfort and edification 
which they might have received from this ordi- 


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95 


nance.” — “ In conformity with the whole con- 
text it should have been rendered judgment , or 
punishment , and yet this is not unto damnation , 
but for their emendation — that we should not be 
condemned with the world.”* 

The convert should observe also, that there 
is a great difference between eating and drink- 
ing as unworthy, and eating and drinking un- 
worthily. The latter has reference solely to the 
irregular and profane manner of receiving the 
Lord’s supper, as shown above ; the former is 
the condition of all mankind as fallen creatures. 
There is not the least danger of his receiving 
unworthily, in the sense of the apostle. The 
separating of the ordinance from a common 
meal; the universal custom of taking but a small 
piece of bread, and a few drops of wine, in this 
holy sacrament ; the general practice of cele- 
brating the ordinance in the house of God ; the 
whole service connected with the institution 
conducted by evangelical pastors, adapted to 
explain the design and use of the ordinance, 
are so many pledges against our “ unworthily ” 
eating bread and drinking wine in the Lord’s 
supper. But dropping every other considera- 

* See Coke and Clarke upon the place, and Wesley’s 
Sermon on “the Duty of Constant Communion.” Dodd- 
ridge, and others 


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tion, we may safely say, that the person who is of 
a tender and scrupulous conscience — who dreads 
nothing so much as to displease his Lord and 
Saviour, is in no immediate danger of eating 
and drinking unworthily in the Lord’s supper. 

That we are unworthy of so great a mercy, 
we admit ; but surely this can be no objection to 
our obeying Christ — to our receiving this and 
all other favours as the gifts of his grace. His 
favours should inspire gratitude, and not em- 
bolden rebellion. 

I have dwelt the longer on this objection, be- 
cause we so frequently meet with it. Other ob- 
jections shall be treated more briefly. 

Another objection often made to coming fre- 
quently to the Lord’s table is, that they “ cannot 
live up to it that they cannot live so holy a 
life as frequent communion would require them 
to do, and therefore they think it more prudent 
not to come to the communion at all, or at most 
but seldom. To this objection it may be re- 
plied : 

1. That it argues the want of sincerity, or 
the want of a proper regard for the will of 
Christ, positively expressed. The true and well 
instructed convert will never omit an opportunity 
to commemorate the dying love of his Saviour. 
He has too great a regard for his command, 


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97 


and too great an interest in the ordinance, to 
neglect it. It is his delight to commune with 
his Saviour in an ordinance instituted for his 
special benefit, and which is adapted to move his 
heart by a sense of those sufferings by which 
alone he can hope for salvation. Thus duty 
and interest unite to bring him, as often as op- 
portunity presents, to the table of the Lord. 

2. I would ask the objector, Who has given 
him liberty to make his own conditions in this, 
matter ? And who has given him the right to 
say, he cannot live answerably to the require- 
ments of the holy supper? Is not this to im- 
peach the character of the blessed Jesus, as 
though he required impracticable or unreasona- 
ble terms of communion ? Are the terms of com- 
munion higher, or more difficult, than the terms 
of salvation? And if you cannot fulfil these 
conditions, how can you be saved ? But what 
is there required in either case, more than re- 
pentance toward God, faith in Jesus Christ, and 
love to God and man, ruling and keeping the 
heart ? And if you cannot live up to them, most 
certainly you cannot be saved. The convert 
has already engaged, by the grace of God, to do 
these things, and whatever is implied in them, 
and he cannot now go back without putting his 
soul in jeopardy. 


7 


98 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


3. Others object to coming to the communion 
table, or, at least, to coming often, that if they 
should apostatize, or should not live up to the 
full import of their profession, it will be worse 
for them than though they had abstained from 
that holy ordinance. 

Answer. (1.) You have already made a pro- 
fession of religion, and joined yourself to the 
people of God. You are therefore bound to live 
up to all that is implied in this most sacred or- 
dinance. 

(2.) You have given yourself up to God and 
his people ; the latter require your hearty and 
unremitted effort and example ; and God, though 
He needs not you, nor your services, yet de- 
mands the devotion of yoitr whole person, and 
every talent, to his most blessed service. 

(3.) It is an undoubted truth, that the greater 
your privileges, your obligations, and profes- 
sions, the greater will be your guilt if you apos- 
tatize. Those who live under, and profess the 
gospel, will, if they walk not in its light, have 
more to answer for than the heathen, who never 
heard the name of Christ. But should you 
therefore thrust the gospel from you, and be- 
come voluntary pagans, because you may apos- 
tatize ? Will you lay the foundation of apos- 
tacy by neglecting the most important means 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


99 


of grace, through fear that you may backslide, 
and thus bring upon yourselves greater con- 
demnation ? Is this acting a rational part ? You 
may backslide, but there is no necessity that 
you should. The grace of God is sufficient for 
you, and will keep you, if you be a follower 
of Christ. The danger of apostatizing is one 
reason why you should walk in all the command- 
ments and ordinances of the Lord, and in that 
of the holy supper in particular. And he who, 
through fear of apostacy, neglects the means of 
grace, is like the soldier who, through an ap- 
prehension that he may turn his back to the 
enemy in battle, instead of charging home upon 
him, goes back and repairs the bridges in the 
rear to secure his retreat. 

(4.) It sometimes will happen that improper 
persons will go to the communion. It may be 
that a misunderstanding arises between two 
members of the church on account of words or 
dealings between them, 'which lias not come to 
the knowledge of the church, or there has not 
been an opportunity to examine and adjust it. 
Should not the aggrieved party or person stay 
away from the communion till the matter be 
settled, or the offence be removed? To this I 
answer, By no means . We have no authority 
for this in all the word of God. Your examina- 


100 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


tion and preparation of yourself for this ordi- 
nance turns on what your dispositions and 
actions are, and not on what others are. If you 
have given cause of offence, you are required to 
repent, and make restitution, if the case requires 
it, before you come to the Lord’s table ; and you 
are to make haste to do this, because the neglect 
of one duty can never justify the omission of 
another ; that is, your neglect to be reconciled 
to your brother can never justify the neglect of 
your duty to Christ. The guilt of both lies upon 
you till you repent, and come to the Lord’s 
table. But it is otherwise if your brother has 
injured you, and has not repented. In that case 
it is a matter between him and his God, and you 
are not answerable if he comes improperly to 
the Lord’s table. You may have a duty in ad- 
monishing him, and taking the steps the gospel 
points out, for a settlement of all difficulties be- 
tween you. But you are not to absent yourself 
from the holy communion merely because an- 
other has injured you. In the act of commun- 
ing your business is with the blessed Saviour, 
and you are not to be thinking of what this, or 
that, or the other person has done. The apos- 
tles did not refuse to commune with their Master, 
and with one another, because Judas was at the 
table. Nor should we, if he be among us. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


101 


“ And here let me urge the observance of the 
Lord’s supper from the apparent, tendency it has 
to promote your greatest advantage. You are 
setting out in the Christian life, and must expect 
to meet with great opposition and various trials. 
It is the love of Christ which must animate you 
to break through all. What then can be more 
desirable than to bear about with you a lively 
sense of it ? And what can awaken that sense 
more than the contemplation of his death as 
there represented ? Who can behold the bread 
broken, and the wine poured out, and not reflect 
how the body of the blessed Jesus was broken, 
and his sacred blood poured forth like water on 
the ground ? Who can think of the heart-rend- 
ing agonies of the Son of God, as the price of 
our redemption and salvation, and not feel his 
soul melted with tenderness, and inflamed with 
great affection ? What an exalted view doth it 
give us of the blessings of the gospel covenant, 
when we consider it as established in the blood 
of God’s only begotten Son ? And when we 
make our approach to God as our heavenly Fa- 
ther, and give up ourselves to his service in this 
solemn manner, what a powerful tendency it has 
to fix the conviction, that ‘ we are not our own, 
that we are bought with a price !’ What a ten- 
dency it has to guard against every temptation 


102 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


to those sins which we have so solemnly re- 
nounced, and to engage our fidelity to Him to 
whom we have bound our souls as with an 
oath /” 

The sacrament of the Lord’s supper is not to 
be observed for our benefit alone, but it is to be 
regarded as a social ordinance. Therein we 
hold communion with the saints. Every account 
of the ordinance gives us this view of it. Our 
blessed Saviour instituted it with his twelve 
apostles, and it was ever after considered as the 
property of the church, in which all its members 
had a right. Here, if anywhere, the whole 
company of believers, without regard to sect or 
denomination, should commune together, and 
thus prove to the world that they are the true 
disciples of Him who tasted death for every man, 
and has commanded us to love one another. 
For we are all one bread and one body. 1 Cor. x, 
17. “Well may our hearts be ‘knit together 
in love,’ when we consider ourselves as ‘ one in 
Christ ;’ his blood becomes the cement of the 
society, and ‘ joins us in spirit to all that in every 
place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our 
Lord ; both theirs and ours.’ And we antici- 
pate, in pleasing hope, that blessed day, when 
the assembly shall be complete, and we ‘ shall 
all be for ever with the Lord.’ Well may these 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 103 

views engage us to deny ourselves, and take up 
our cross, and follow our crucified Master. Well 
may they engage us to do our utmost, by prayer, 
and in all other suitable ways, to serve his fol- 
lowers and friends, and to assist those whom he 
has purchased with his own blood, and who are 
to be his associates and ours, in the glories of a 
happy immortality.” 

Thus it appears that we may profit in more 
ways than one, by a due observance of this or- 
dinance. But if we hold loose sentiments, and 
adopt a loose practice respecting it ; if we ob- 
ject, or make our own sense of propriety, and 
not the will of our blessed Lord, the rule of our 
duty, we may neglect this Ordinance altogether, 
or drag ourselves to it occasionally ; but we 
shall have barrenness of soul, and find little or 
no profit in it, when we do set ourselves to ob- 
serve it. 

To receive all the benefits of the ordinance, 
you will find some preparation of yourself 
necessary. This preparation should be special, 
or habitual, or both. The special preparation 
consists in retirement, fasting, prayer, reading 
the Scriptures, and meditation on divine things 
in connection with this ordinance. But if you 
should be journeying, or your time should not 
be at your own command, then the habitual prepa- 


104 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

ration is all that is required. This preparation 
may be expressed thus : “ Repent you truly of 
your sins; have faith in Christ our Saviour. 
Amend your lives, and be in charity with all 
men ; so shall ye be meet partakers of these 
holy mysteries.” All who are thus prepared 
may draw nigh without fear, and receive the sa- 
crament to their comfort. 

St. Paul expresses this preparation thus : 
u Let a man examine himself \ and so let him eat 
of that bread and drink of that cup” This ex- 
amination is twofold. First, it relates to the 
abuses of the Lord’s supper, which had crept 
into the Corinthian church. If the reader bears 
in mind what has been said of eating and drink- 
ing unworthily, in the sense in which the apos- 
tle uses that term, there will be very little need 
of examining himself on the facts connected 
with that point, as there is no danger of his thus 
eating and drinking unworthily in the sacrament. 
The other sense in which we are to examine 
ourselves is of great importance. The heads 
on which the examination should proceed may 
be thus briefly stated : 

First. The character of the death of Christ 
as a sacrifice for sin. 

Secondly. The state of our own hearts as it 
respects repentance toward God, and faith in 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 105 

our Lord Jesus Christ, and the devotion of our- 
selves to the will of God. 

Thirdly. Our disposition toward our fellow 
creatures, whether it be that of love and charity 
to our neighbours, of benevolence toward all 
men, and the spirit of forgiveness toward our 
enemies. 

This examination must not be superficial or 
seldom ; and when duly performed it will ena- 
ble the convert, in the act of communing, to fix 
his faith on the divine Saviour, and, with intense 
application of mind, to contemplate him as the 
only sacrifice for sin, the infinite source of sal- 
vation and happiness to his redeemed creatures, 
and to concentrate all his desire and affection 
in him. 

But what if the convert, on examining him- 
self, should not find the evidence of regenera- 
tion, and of a healthy and vigorous state of the 
Christian graces and virtues, — shall he presume 
to come to the Lord’s table before his doubts 
are removed 1 Most certainly. Let him come 
in the spirit of confession and supplication, and 
by faith lay hold on the sin-atoning sacrifice, 
and, in doing so, yield himself up to the Sa- 
viour of sinners without reserve. Thus he may 
be accepted, and “ sealed with that Holy Spirit 
of promise,” Eph. i, 13. Christ invites him to 


106 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

come to him, and find rest to his soul. And 
who, besides Christ, can help him ? And if he 
has a right to come to Christ, (and every sinner 
has that right,) he has a right to the ordinance 
which specially leads to Christ. Let him not 
fear, “ but come boldly to the throne of grace, 
the mercy-seat , and he shall obtain mercy, and 
find grace to help in time of need.” Let him 
not be discouraged, if his Lord delays a little 
to satisfy his soul with good. Yet a little while, 
and the “ promise shall speak, and will not lie.” 
And should he have another, and another op- 
portunity to come to the Lord’s table before he 
is greatly comforted, let him not hesitate to im- 
prove it, nor decline to walk in all the command- 
ments and ordinances of the Lord, with all his 
heart and with all his soul. 

And when the convert has, at any time, been 
to the holy communion, and is dismissed from 
the public assembly with “the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ,” let him still bear in mind the so- 
lemn transaction in which he was so lately en- 
gaged. Let him guard the door of his lips. Let 
him watch and pray, and exclude all lightness 
of mind, all foolish and vain desires, and all 
dissipation of thought. As soon as may be, 
after arriving at his own home, let him visit his 
closet, and there indulge in reflection on the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


107 


mercy of God to him, on the duties and privi- 
leges of the day, and the frame of mind in which 
he has gone through the whole, and especially 
those of the sanctuary. If he be the head of a 
family, let him, like Joshua, bring his whole fa- 
mily, if possible, to join with him in these in- 
quiries and reflections, that they also may be 
“ partakers of the benefit.” 
















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THE CONVERT’S GUIDE 


PREACHER’S ASSISTANT. 


PART II. 


CHAPTER I. 

CHRISTIAN DUTIES WHICH RELATE IMMEDIATELY 
TO GOD. 

Section I . — Of loving God. 

The convert having entered into covenant 
with God, and sealed that covenant by coming 
to the Lord’s table, is desirous, it is supposed, 
of learning the whole extent of his duties and 
privileges, and of understanding how he may 
glorify his God and Saviour, by putting on and 
sustaining the whole Christian character. To 
aid him herein, and to assist him in “ putting on 
the whole armour of righteousness,” I would 
bring him to the “ high places of wisdom,” and 
into the “ King’s highway of holiness,” by set- 
ting before him h^| duties to God, to his fellow 


110 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

creatures, and himself. And I begin with the 
duty of loving God. 

Love is the most amiable and excellent of all 
virtues. It contains in itself the principle of 
universal obedience, and is therefore said to be 
“ the fulfilling of the law.” 

Now to love, or delight in God, is to possess 
our minds with such a due sense and estimation 
of the excellence and perfection of the divine 
nature as shall make us look upon him as our . 
chief good; make choice of him as the only 
proper source of our happiness ; and prefer his 
cause and interest before every thing else. For 
the language of every true lover of God is, 
“ Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is 
none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” 
And indeed, whether we consider God abso- 
lutely, as he is in himself, or relatively, as he 
shows himself to us, there is all the reason ima- 
ginable why he should be seated on the throne 
of our affections. 

Absolutely, and in himself, God is proposed 
to us as the most lovely and amiable of all be- 
ings, in whom there is a harmonious concur- 
rence of all beauties and perfection, and who has 
all that excellence which can possibly excite 
our love, in the highest degree, concentrated in 
his nature. Wisdom, both tke ornament and 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. Ill 

perfection of a creature, is but a ray from the 
Father of lights, and is to be found originally in 
him who is “ the only wise God.” Power, the 
thing which is universally coveted among men, 
is found without limit in him who hath made 
the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, and 
who preserveth them still for the benefit of his 
creatures. Justice,- which maketh the “right- 
eous man more excellent than his neighbour,” 
is a glorious attribute of his Godhead who is 
“ righteous in all his w r ays, and holy in all his 
works.” Holiness, a thing so venerable among 
men, the brightest pearl they can show, is but 
a faint ray of that purity which is in God. Kind- 
ness and beneficence, which all men speak well 
of, which win upon all, are essential to him 
who is the fountain of all good, and whose 
mercy endureth for ever. And, to say no more, 
beauty, that common allurement of love, is so 
conspicuous in him, that the most glorious in- 
habitants of heaven, who see his face, are daz- 
zled with the glory of it ; for the. seraphim, in 
Isaiah’s vision, appear covering their faces in 
the presence of God, as unable to sustain the 
lustre of the divine perfections. If, then, we 
deservedly love and esteem those persons who 
are possessed of these graces, though in an im- 
perfect degree, how can we but love and rever- 


112 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

ence God, who is the glorious centre in whom 
all these excellences meet; in whom perfect 
wisdom, unerring justice, melting goodness, and 
alluring mercy, are all united to captivate our 
affections ? Especially considering that, besides 
all these essential qualities in God, we have 
abundant reason to love him in his relative 
capacity, for the daily manifestations of his 
goodness to us. At first he produced us out of 
nothing, and made us capable of receiving all 
kindness from him. Our existence could be no 
addition to his happiness, and therefore our cre- 
ation was the mere effect of his unbounded love. 
The same philanthropy still sustains and pre- 
serves us, and keeps us from relapsing into the 
abyss of nonentity. The divine Providence still 
watches over, screens us from dangers, and 
confers on us actual favours and mercies ; and, 
therefore, if we think ourselves bound to love 
our friends and benefactors, as parents and dear- 
est relations, there is much greater reason to 
love God, whose kindness to us far exceeds all 
the care and affection of the most entire friend, 
of the most indulgent parent. But of all the 
instances of his love, that of sending his Son for 
the redemption of mankind is of the most en- 
dearing nature, and therefore observe with what 
a variety of tender expressions the apostle de- 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


113 


scribes it. “ God, who is rich in mercy,” says 
he, “ for the great love wherewith he loved us, 
even when we were dead in sins, hath quick- 
ened us together with Christ, and hath raised 
us up together, and hath made us sit together in 
heavenly places in Christ Jesus ; that, in the 
ages to come, he might show the exceeding 
riches of his grace, in his kindness to us through 
Christ Jesus ; for by grace are ye saved through 
faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift 
of God.” Here is “ grace,” and “ gift,” and 
“ kindness,” “ exceeding riches of grace,” and 
“ great love,” and “ riches of mercy;” and these, 
if duly attended to, cannot fail, one would 
think, of kindling a reciprocal flame of love in 
our hearts — of supreme love to this loving God. 

If it be possible to add any thing to this grace, 
mercy, and kindness of God our Saviour, we 
have it in the gospel, when he offers himself to 
us as our reconciled God, ready to forgive our 
sins — to bear with our weaknesses — to renew us 
in the spirit and temper of our minds — to sanc- 
tify us throughout in spirit, soul, and body — to 
sustain us in all our trials and conflicts — to com- 
fort us in all our sorrows — to make all things 
work together for our good, and to bring us to 
share in his felicity and glory in heaven. Theses 
things, brought home to our hearts by the Holy 
8 


114 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Ghost, will produce in us the most sincere and 
ardent love to God. 

As to the properties and signs of love, we 
know that every one esteems what he loves to 
be lovely, and what he esteems in another, he 
wishes to possess himself, that so becoming like 
him, he may appear as lovely in the eyes of his 
beloved, as his beloved is in his eyes. And, in 
like manner, if we love God, we must necessa- 
rily esteem him as exceeding lovely and endear- 
ing ; and under this esteem, as well as because 
it is his will, positively expressed, must be led 
to resemble him in all those amiable things that 
so much endear him to us. The beauties and 
excellences for which we love him, are all his 
glorious perfections, but especially his good- 
ness, and wisdom, and righteousness, and mer- 
cy, &c. ; all which are set forth for our imita. 
tion, and may be transcribed into our natures. 
So that if we love God, we can but desire to 
resemble him in those things for which we love 
him ; and these things being all of an imitable 
nature, our desire to resemble him will excite 
our best endeavours to be pure, as he is pure ; 
just, as he is just ; and merciful, as he is mer- 
ciful. 

The greatest ambition of love is to appear 
amiable in the eyes of its beloved ; and that it 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


115 


may do so, it studiously avoids whatever may 
be displeasing or distasteful to it, and industri- 
ously endeavours to adorn itself with such 
obliging graces as are apt to endear and recom- 
mend it. And so, if we love God, we shall en- 
deavour to appear lovely to him, and that desire 
will engage us to acquire whatever is pleasing, 
and to avoid whatever is hateful in his sight. 
Now piety and goodness are the only things in 
us that endear us to God ; as, on the other 
hand, sin is the only deformity which can ren- 
der us displeasing in his sight. And, therefore, 
as we would approve our love to God, we must 
flee from sin, and from every appearance of 
evil, lest they turn away his eye from us. 

Again : nothing is more uneasy than the mind 
of a lover when separated, in any degree, from 
the object of his affections. His conversation, 
his thoughts, his dreams, and his desires, run 
continually upon it; nor can he recover his 
peace till he is happily restored to his former 
enjoyment. And in like manner, when God, 
in mercy, and to reprove us for our negligence, 
veils his face for a season, either not affording 
us that sensible comfort, or those speedy returns 
to prayer which we formerly enjoyed, if love be 
in our hearts, it will surely dispose them to sen- 
sible grief, and inspire them with such ardent 


116 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

petitions as these : “ Hide not thy face from 
thy servant, for I am in trouble : turn unto me, 
according to the multitude of thy mercies, and 
draw nigh unto my soul, and save it” Once 
more : love, we know, is a bold and vigorous 
passion ; it makes the weak strong ; it warms 
and animates the heart with such a generous 
fire as disdains all opposition, and outbraves 
the greatest dangers and difficulties. If there- 
fore we love God sincerely, our love will quicken 
our endeavours to serve him, and carry us with 
such a spirit and alacrity through all the many 
stages of our duty, that it will be our joy and re- 
creation to do his will. The more difficulties 
we meet with in our way, the more will they add 
to our activity, as being proper opportunities to 
manifest the sincerity of our love, and thereby 
to recommend our services to our beloved. 

It will probably be asked here, whether the 
affections have any thing to do in loving God ? 
To this I answer, Yes. Every power and fa- 
culty of man must be sanctified to God, and 
employed in his service. But it should be 
carefully noticed, that what has been said of 
esteem, desire, choice, and effort to please, im- 
ply aftection, or love. And our love to God is 
always in proportion to our esteem, desire, 
choice, and effort to please him. If our percep- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 117 

tions of the excellence of the divine perfections 
and attributes are faint, our love is so too ; if our 
perceptions are clear and strong, they are ac- 
companied with powerful emotions of delight 
and joy. These are the genuine signs and pro- 
perties of the love of God in our hearts ; and 
from hence we may learn the great mistake 
which they are under who measure their affec- 
tion to God by'the mere impression of sensitive 
passion. There are good Christians who cannot 
raise their sensitive passions in their religious 
duties ; that are heartily sorry for their sins, and 
yet cannot weep for them as they would ; and 
do heartily delight in God, and in his service, 
and yet cannot move their blood and spirits into 
the ravishing transports of love and joy ; so there 
may be those who have no perception of the 
excellence of the divine character, who yet, in 
their religious exercises, may have wonderful 
ecstasies of passion ; may pour out their confes- 
sions in floods of tears, and make their hearts 
dilate into raptures of love and joy : and yet all 
the while this is no more than the difference of 
temper in men’s bodies, which in some is calm 
and sedate, and not easily to be agitated ; in 
others soft and tender, and so very susceptible 
of impression, that any frivolous fancy can raise 
a commotion in them. We must not therefore 


118 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

trust to such fallacious evidences as these, but 
try our love to God by the only safe criterion, 
viz., our obedience to his heavenly will, spon- 
taneously flowing from the esteem of his divine 
excellence, and an earnest desire to be like him, 
and to please him. 

Let us inquire now, to what extent it is our 
duty to love God. And here we have the ex- 
press will of our infinite and gracious Sovereign, 
first delivered by Moses, and afterward by 
Christ himself, to guide our inquiries. 

And Jesus said, to one who inquired on this 
subject, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 
all thy heart , and with all thy soul, and with all 
thy mind. “ Hence it appears, that by this law, 
the soul eagerly cleaves to, affectionately ad- 
mires, and constantly rests in God, supremely 
pleased and satisfied with him as its portion ; 
that it acts from him as its author ; for him, as 
its master ; and to him, as its end. That by it 
all the powers and faculties of the mind are con- 
centrated in the Lord of the universe. That by 
it the whole man is willingly surrendered to the 
Most High ; and that through it an identity or 
sameness of spirit with the Lord is acquired — 
the man being made a partaker of the divine 
nature, having the mind in him that was in Christ, 
and thus dwelling in God, and God in him. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


119 


“ But what is implied in loving God with all 
the heart, soul, mind, strength, &c., and when 
may a man be said to do this? 1. ‘ He loves 
God with all his heart, who loves nothing in 
comparison to him, and nothing but in reference 
to him ; — who is ready to give up, do, or suffer 
any thing in order to please and glorify him ; 
who has in his heart neither love nor hatred, 
hope nor fear, inclination nor aversion, desire 
nor delight, but as it relates to God, and is regu- 
lated by him.’ 

2. “ He loves God with all his soul, or rather 
with all his life, (so the word maybe rendered,) 
who is ready to give up life for his sake ; — to 
endure all sorts of torment, and to be deprived 
of all kinds of comfort, rather than dishonour 
God ; who employs life, with all its comforts 
and conveniences, to glorify God in, by, and 
through all ; to whom life and death are nothing, 
but as they come from, and lead to God. From 
this divine principle sprang the blood of the mar- 
tyrs, which became the seed of the church. 
They overcame through the hlood of the Lamb t 
and loved not their lives unto the death. Rev. 
xii, 11. 

3. “ He loves God with all his strength, 
(Mark xii, 30 ; Luke x, 27,) who exerts all his 
powers of body and soul in the service of God; 


120 THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 

who, for the glory of his Master, spares neither 
labour nor cost — who sacrifices his time, body, 
health, ease, for the honour of God, his divine 
Master; — who employs in his service all his 
goods, his talents, his power, credit, authority, 
and influence. 

4. “ He loves God with all his mind, (intel- 
lect,) who applies himself only to know God 
and his holy will ; who receives, with submis- 
sion, gratitude, and pleasure, the sacred truths 
which God has revealed to man ; who studies 
no art or science, but so far as is necessary for 
the service of God, and uses it at all times to 
promote his glory ; who forms no projects or 
designs, but in reference to God and the inter- 
ests of mankind ; who banishes from his under- 
standing and memory every useless, foolish, 
and dangerous thought, together with every idea 
which has any tendency to defile his soul, or 
turn it, for a moment, from the centre of eternal 
repose. In a word, he who sees God in all 
things ; thinks of him at all times, — having his 
mind continually fixed upon him, acknowledg- 
ing him in all his ways ; who begins, continues, 
and ends all his thoughts, words, and works, to 
the glory of his name ! this is the person who 
loves God with all his heart, life, strength, and 
intellect. He is crucified to the world, and the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


121 


world to him ; he lives, yet not he, but Christ 
lives in him. He beholds, as in a glass, the 
glory of the Lord, and is changed into the same 
image from glory to glory. Simply and continu- 
ally looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter 
of his faith, he receives continual supplies of 
enlightening and sanctifying grace, and is thus 
fitted for every good work. O, glorious state ! 
far, far beyond this description, which comprises 
an ineffable communion between the ever bless- 
ed Trinity and the soul of man !”* 

But how, it may be asked, is the love of God 
produced in the heart of man ? Will the mere 
contemplation of the amiable and glorious per- 
fections of the Deity do this ? It will not. Man 
is naturally destitute of the love of God, and so 
remains till the heart is circumcised , that we may 
love the Lord our God with all our heart , soul , 
mind , and strength. 

The disposition of the unrenewed heart is re- 
presented in the Scriptures, and found by expe- 
rience, to be the opposite of love. Such a heart 
is called a hard hearty a heart of stone; and the 
spirit that has not been renewed is called carnal , 
and said to be enmity against God. Such are 
alienated from the life of God i and have an evil 


* Dr. A. Clarke. 


122 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


heart of unbelief in departing from the living 
God. They are compared to an evil tree, the 
fruit of which is not love, but hatred , variance f 
emulation , wrath , strife , seditions , heresies , envy - 
ings, revilings, and such like ; and this is the 
character, not of a part of mankind only, but of 
all who have not been created anew in Christ 
Jesus. 

Before this tree can bring forth good fruit it 
must undergo a change. “ Make the tree good'' 
says our Saviour, “ that the fruit may be good 
also and this process is found in the work of 
regeneration, commenced and carried on by the 
direct agency of the Holy Spirit, through repent- 
ance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ. And it would be as absurd to look for 
the fruit of divine love, where this process has 
not taken place, as to look for grapes upon the 
thorn-bush, or figs upon the thistle. 

This is in accordance with the express decla- 
ration of God’s word, “ The fruit of the Spirit is 
love." Let this be particularly considered. 
Why is love called the fruit of the Spirit? Be- 
cause it is found only where the Holy Ghost 
dwells, — in the regenerate heart. If love were 
found in the unrenewed, it would be the fruit 
of nature, or of human exertion, and not the fruit 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


123 


of the Spirit. But man cannot produce this dis- 
position in his own heart. It depends not on 
the mere will and exertions of man to love this 
or that object, much less to love God. If a man 
would give all the substance of his house for love , 
it would be utterly contemned. It is sufficient to 
say, that the Spirit of God never produces this 
fruit in opposition to the will of man. But yet 
there is as close a connection between our lov- 
ing God and the agency of the Spirit of God, 
as between the fruit of the tree and the sap 
which produces it. 

That our love to God is, and of necessity must 
be preceded by a work of the Holy Spirit, ap- 
pears from this, — “We love him, because he 
first loved us that is, because we first see and 
feel his love to us. It requires more than the 
mere sight of the perfections of Deity, to excite 
our love to him. Were it otherwise, the devils 
would love him, for they cannot but see his 
perfections ; the philosopher would always be 
the Christian, and men of science would inva- 
riably love their Maker. But this is far from 
being the case. We must, therefore, not only 
see his perfections, in order to love him, but 
our interest in them. “ It is not,” says a cele- 
brated writer, “ in the power of man to love 


124 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

a being who bears no relation to his happi- 
ness.”* 

It is not such a view of the divine character 
as may be obtained by meditation, that will ex- 
cite love in the breast of man. This would 
undoubtedly be sufficient to keep up the flame 
of love in those who were never defiled with sin ; 
but it is not sufficient to excite it in the pol- 
luted, cold, dead hearts of the children of men. 
Here the motive must be more powerful, and 
more peculiary adapted. Nothing less than a 
deep conviction that “ God is in Christ recon- 
ciled to me” — “ that Christ loved me , and gave 
himself for me,” which is in substance the wit- 
ness of the Spirit that I am pardoned and ac- 
cepted, in him, can produce love in the heart of 
any child of Adam. Then we regard ourselves 
as poor, miserable, guilty, helpless sinners, and 
salvation as the gift of God through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. This view kindles love and grati- 
tude where these dispositions did not exist be- 
fore ; and henceforth love is the principle of 
action in all who are born of God. 

This doctrine is confirmed to us by the expe- 
rience of all true Christians. First, there is a 
conviction of sin wrought in the conscience ; 


Saurin. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


125 


not only of outward, but of inward sin also. In 
particular, a conviction of unbelief in rejecting 
Christ and the gospel; of blindness of mind, 
hardness of heart, pride, self-will, and many 
other evil desires and tempers. Secondly, 
after enduring the wretchedness of this state a 
longer or shorter time, and also their utter ina- 
bility to deliver themselves from it, they are 
brought, under a pressure of guilt and misery, 
to cast themselves on the mercy of God in 
Christ. Thirdly, they are freely pardoned and 
accepted in the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit is 
sent forth into their hearts, crying, Abba , Fa- 
ther. And hence, fourthly , love springs up in 
their hearts, — love to God first, and then love to 
all mankind. Thus experience worketh hope, 
and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love 
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
Ghost given unto us. 

Thus, the mind being enlightened, and the 
heart renewed, the believer will hold commu- 
nion with God in his works and word, in the 
ordinances of his house, and all the means of 
grace. His meditations on the word and works 
of God kindle raptures in his soul, and he goes 
on his way rejoicing, and praising God in and 
for all things. 


126 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Section II . — Of fearing God . 

The fear of God is closely connected with 
the love of God. We must not think that be- 
cause God is to be loved above all, or because 
he is the most loving of all beings, that there- 
fore he is not to be feared. So far from this, 
we shall find that, because he is the greatest 
and best of all beings, he is to be feared above 
all others. , 

The apostle John does indeed tell us that 
“ perfect love casteth out all fear that hath tor- 
ment.” But perfect love is well consistent with 
that fear of God which we now urge as a Chris- 
tian duty. Many professed Christians form to 
themselves an imaginary God, whom they re- 
present as so flexible and easy a being, that he 
will not be angry with them for any misconduct 
they may fall into, however flagitious. These 
have no proper sense of the majesty, the holi- 
ness, the justice, or the goodness of God ; and 
therefore they are irreverent, carnal, presumptu- 
ous, and unthankful. The fear of God is, in a 
great measure, the same reverential affection 
which a dutiful and loving child feels for his 
parents ; such as will make him careful in his 
whole behaviour, and restrain him from the 
commission of sin. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


127 


The same God who hath given us the pas* 
sion of fear as a guard against evil in general, 
has also given us notice that his displeasure is 
the greatest of all evils to us ; and, therefore, as 
we account it a point of wisdom to be watchful 
against other evils, so is it necessarily the high- 
est wisdom to be watchful that we do not dis- 
please him. 

Considering God as the only being of infinite 
perfection ; the Creator of all things ; the King 
of kings, and the Lord of lords ; and ourselves 
as sinful, erring, dependant, and accountable 
creatures, “ should not his excellency make us 
afraid, and his dread fall upon us?” Job xiii, 11. 
And has not Jesus Christ said, and said to his 
own disciples, “ Fear not them that kill the body, 
and after that have no more that they can do ; 
but fear him who, after he hath killed, hath 
power to cast into hell : yea, I say unto you, 
fear him?” Luke xii, 4, 5. Truly we may say 
with the psalmist, “ Thou, even thou, art to be 
feared ; and who may stand in thy sight, when 
once thou art angry ?” Psa. lxxvi, 7. 

But how much soever God deserves to be 
feared, we cannot but observe, that nothing is 
more common among us than to have our actions 
more influenced by the fear of man than of God. 
Thus when we commit any sin in secret, which 


128 the convert's guide. 

we dare not commit openly ; when we affect 
to appear to the world religious and virtuous, 
and put on sheep’s clothing only to hide the 
goat, we show that the fear of man has greater 
influence over us than the fear of God, since the 
one is strong enough to make us hypocrites, 
but the other has not power to make us inwardly 
and sincerely good. When we are ashamed to 
own the principles of our religion, and for fear 
of increasing the censure of preciseness and sin- 
gularity, we turn aside after the amusements 
and pleasures of the world, we then, likewise, 
show that the fear of man awes us more than 
the fear of God. When we fall in with the un- 
warrantable customs of the world, and comply 
with the modish follies and vices of the age or 
place in which we live, purely from the fear of 
being thought unfashionable or ill-bred ; this un- 
due compliance is another proof of our fearing 
men more than God ; since our conformity to 
the world is the effect of the one, while the 
other is not strong enough to incline us to do the 
good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. 
When, in times of tribulation or persecution, 
men abjure religion to make or save their for- 
tunes, or their lives, and to avoid a present trou- 
ble run headlong into such pernicious practices 
as will render them obnoxious to everlasting 


THE CONVERT S GUIDE. 129 

perdition, it is undeniable that they are under 
greater apprehensions from man than from God, 
since temporal death, which is the utmost that 
man can threaten, seems so formidable that, to 
escape it, they run the risk of that eternal death 
which shall be the lot of those who, denying 
Christ before men, shall be denied by him be- 
fore his Father and the holy angels. 

Sensible objects affect us more readily than 
spiritual and invisible ones ; and, besides, men 
are soon angry, and implacable, while God is 
slow to anger, long-suffering, and of great mer- 
cy ; and, therefore, this exceeding mercy of 
God, which the psalmist thought a good ground 
for his being feared, is often the reason why man 
is feared more than God. 

The prophet however has, in a very striking 
manner, exposed this unreasonable and wicked 
conduct : “ Who art thou, that thou shouldest 
be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son 
of man, which shall be made as grass, and for- 
gettest the Lord thy Maker, that hath stretched 
forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of 
the earth ?” Who art thou 1 If thou be a ra- 
tional creature, as God hath designed thee, think 
if there be any kind of equality between the two 
objects, — between him that created the whole 
universe out of nothing, and him whose breath 
9 


130 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

is in his nostrils, and yet is no longer there than 
his Creator is pleased to lend it ; and if thou art 
ashamed of the comparison, then fear not the 
strongest confederacy of men, as the same pro- 
phet exhorts, nor be afraid; but sanctify the 
Lord of hosts himself, and let him be thy fear, 
and let him be thy dread. 

The observation which Solomon made is a 
very true one, that the “ fear of man bringeth a 
snare, exposes us to temptations, and seduces 
us from our duty to God ; but whoso putteth 
his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” How shock- 
ing must the frowns and menaces of great men 
be to such as are destitute of the fear of the 
Lord, which fortifies the mind, and gives it a 
firmness like that of the three Hebrews in Ba- 
bylon, who, when the question was put, whe- 
ther they would worship the golden image, or 
be cast into the burning fiery furnace, replied, 
with all composure, “ O Nebuchadnezzar, we 
are not careful to answer thee in this matter,” 
i. e. in one instant we can resolve what to do in 
this case, because we were resolved long ago to 
suffer any thing rather than God’s displeasure. 
How galling must the fears about Jthe things of 
this life be to one who has no eye to the blessings 
of another ! How must every cross accident 
grieve him, and every slight affliction wound him 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


131 


to the heart ! But he that fears God has a preser- 
vative against every thing of this kind. Before 
they come he fears them not, because he is sure 
that the providence of God is on his side ; and 
when they are come, he has means to break their 
force, because he has assurance of a recompense, 
at last, if not of relief here. But above all, how 
amazing must the fear of death be to him who 
fears not God ! Death, that like a dark passage 
to a darker prison, puts an end to all that he 
would have, and a beginning to all that he would 
not. What agonies of dread and horror must 
every reflection on death inject into his guilty 
soul ! But he who lives under the influence of 
the fear of God, has prepared his mind, before- 
hand, to meet the prince of terrors, and pays this 
last debt of nature with cheerfulness, ahd leaves 
the stage of life as one that is assured of his 
passage to a blessed and glorious eternity. 

Well, therefore, might holy Job say, “The 
fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,” since it not 
only makes us easy, by banishing our other fears 
while we are here, but happy, likewise, by se- 
curing our chief concern and interest hereafter. 
All our other attainments, without the fear of the 
Lord, will avail us nothing. Our knowledge of 
arts and sciences, of laws and policies, of trade 
and business, will never make us truly wise, 


132 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

till such time as the fear of God presides over 
what we know of other things, and directs it to 
the purposes of a holy life. And, therefore, we 
may well be allowed to inquire, “ Where is the 
place of wisdom ?” And by what means shall 
we come in possession of this holy affection ? 

From what has been said it appears that no 
one can have the true fear of God without a 
true knowledge of him. A view of his infinite 
majesty will strike us with reverence and awe ; 
while a sense of his mercy and goodness will 
inspire confidence and an absorbing desire to 
please him in all we do ; and these, joined with 
a sense of our liability to fail, constitute the fear 
of God. 

The royal psalmist has told us his own prac- 
tice, and 'therein given us a very wholesome 
lesson of instruction : “ I have set the Lord 
always before me,” Psa. xvi, 8 ; — have had a 
continual sense of his presence with, and in- 
spection over me ; and therefore, “ when I con- 
sider, I am afraid of him,” Job xxiii, 15. And 
indeed, if the consideration of a fellow-creature 
being present with us is sometimes sufficient to 
restrain us from a sinful or improper action, how 
much more careful ought we to be of our con- 
duct before that holy and divine Majesty, who 
fills heaven and earth, and whose notice nothing 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


133 


can escape ! Do we then really consider what 
it is to have the infinite and all-seeing God a 
constant witness and observer of all our actions, 
and even of all our thoughts and purposes ; — 
that he keeps a perfect register of them, and 
records them in books which we are told will 
be opened at the great day of accounts, and out 
of which we must be judged? If we do con- 
sider these things, I say, and yet are not thereby 
restrained from sinning, there is but one argu- 
ment more that can be supposed to work upon 
our fears, and that is, 

The consideration of God’s justice and sever- 
ity against sin : for if God spared not the an- 
gels that sinned, but cast them down to hell ; 
and spared not the old world, but brought in the 
flood upon the ungodly, turning the cities of 
Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, and making 
them an example to those that should after live 
wickedly ; and, what is more, — if God spared 
not his own Son, when, having no sin of his 
own, he undertook only as the proxy and re- 
presentative of sinners, how much more will he 
not spare them whose impieties have provoked 
his wrath, and whose damnation, upon that ac- 
count, slumbereth not ? Knowing therefore the 
terrors of the Lord, our flesh may well tremble 
because of him, and we have good reason to bo 


134 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

afraid of his judgment; that judgment especially 
which shall end in an eternity of misery, and 
therefore calls upon us daily to work out our 
salvation with fear and trembling. 

Section III. — Of trusting in God. 

To trust in the Lord, is confidently to expect that 
he will do for us, in time and in eternity, what- 
ever we need, and so in quietness wait for the 
event. “ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 
whose mind is stayed on thee ; because he trust- 
eth in thee,” Isa. xxvi, 3. Again, “ Who is 
among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth 
the voice of his servant, that walketh in dark- 
ness, (various afflictions,) and hath no light? 
Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay 
upon his God,” Isa. 1, 10. 

Trust in God implies dependance on our 
part, and that we commit our cause, whatever 
it maybe, into his hands, to be managed by him, 
being assured that he will direct and overrule 
all things in the best possible manner. 

Innumerable are the instances in which we 
need the assistance of a friend who has all wis- 
dom, power, goodness, and faithfulness. And 
such a friend is God. We may then commit all 
our concerns to his providence ; depend upon 
his help and protection, in all the difficulties of 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


135 


life ; and rely upon his care and provision for 
us, in all the wants and necessities that can be- 
fall us ; for each of his divine attributes points 
out the duty of our reliance upon him. 

One great requisite in a friend from whom we 
expect protection and relief is, that he be ac- 
quainted with our circumstances ; otherwise we 
may be undone before his helping hand is 
stretched out to us. But in God, “ whose un- 
derstanding is infinite,” and whose eye every 
moment has the whole creation under his view, 
there can be no risk of this kind. So that, be 
our condition what it may, upon the considera- 
tion of this attribute we may adopt the language 
of the psalmist, and say, “ God is our refuge and 
strength, a very present help in trouble. God 
is in the midst of us, therefore shall we not be 
removed ; God shall help us, and that right 
early ; for the Lord of hosts is with us, the God 
of Jacob is our refuge.” 

But it is not enough that our friend be ac- 
quainted with our condition, unless he has power 
likewise to remove the evil we complain of, and 
procure us the good we need; and therefore 
there is nothing which either the God of nature 
has made, or the art of man has contrived, from 
which the psalmist does not borrow allusions in 
order to excite in us a lively sense of the power 


136 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

of God to defend his servants in the time of 
trouble. “ The Lord is my rock, and my fort- 
ress, and my deliverer ; my God, my strength, 
in whom 1 will trust : my buckler, the horn also 
of my salvation, and my high tower.” And to 
show his care and provision for our wants: 
“ The Lord,” says he, “ delivereth the souls of 
• his servants, and they that put their trust in him 
shall not be destitute.” “ The young lions do 
lack and suffer hunger ; yet they that seek the 
Lord shall not want any good thing.” Nor is 
it enough that our friend have it in his power 
to supply our wants, and stand by us in danger, 
unless he is willing and disposed to do so ; and 
therefore, to remove all doubts of this kind, the 
same psalmist hath assured us, that God is not 
only essentially and immutably good, but good 
universally, good everlastingly, to all them that 
put their trust in him, yea, his “ tender mercies 
are over all his works.” Conditions in life make 
no difference with him, “ for lo, the poor crieth, 
and he heareth him, and saveth him out of all 
his troubles.” Many will befriend us in pros- 
perity, but desert us in adversity. But with 
God it is far otherwise ; for though his mercy 
and goodness extend to all, yet are they more 
especially concerned for such as are in afflic- 
tion, — the fatherless, the widow, the prisoner, 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


137 


the poor, the stranger, the friendless, and such 
as have no helper. And from a sense of this 
we find the devout in all ages trusting not in 
man, but fleeing to God for shelter, as they saw. 
the storm approaching. “ Our fathers trusted in 
thee, and thou didst deliver them ; they called 
upon thee, and were helped ; they put their 
trust in thee, and were not confounded ; where- 
fore go not from me, 0 Lord, for trouble is near, 
and there is none to help me. — Haste thee to 
help me, to deliver my soul from the sword, my 
darling from the power of the dogs.” 

Nor is it sufficient that a person have know- 
ledge, and power, and goodness enough to be 
our support, unless, in some measure, he be un- 
der obligation to do it for us ; and therefore He 
has been graciously pleased to promise us every 
blessing in his word. Now promises of help to 
those who put their trust in God are innumer- 
able ; and on these we may securely rely : “ for 
the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, 
and his ears are open to their cries and though 
their “ afflictions be many, yet he shall deliver 
them out of all. He shall redeem the souls of 
his servants, and none of them that trust in him 
shall be desolate.” Having, therefore, these 
promises, we may, with undaunted courage, use 
the language, and form the resolution of the 


138 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

psalmist : “ God is our refuge and strength, 
therefore will we not fear, though the earth be 
removed, and though the hills be carried into 
p the midst of the sea ; though the waters thereof 
rage, and the mountains shake at the swelling 
thereof.” — See the ninety-first psalm, and Hab. 
iii, 17-19. 

And if we now turn our eyes upon ourselves, 
and consider our own experience of his former 
loving kindness to us, we shall see abundant 
reason why we should trust him for the future. 
Of the many calamities incident to human life, 
how many, through his gracious providence, 
have we escaped ! How many, just hanging 
over our heads, and which we saw no way of 
avoiding, has his watchful care averted from us ! 
How many, even after they had begun to press 
hard upon us, has he at first abated, and after- 
ward wholly removed ! And how many, by his 
overruling power, have had so good an effect, 
that we have reason to rejoice for having been 
visited by them ! Have we never, by a painful 
and lingering sickness, been brought to the very 
brink of the grave, and, by some unexpected 
turn, been restored to our health again ? Has 
our good name never been aspersed by the foul 
tongue of slander, when we were unable to clear 
ourselves, and has not God, in his good provi- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


139 


dence, “ brought forth our righteousness as the 
light, and our innocence as the noon-day V If 
then we have had such instances of God’s good- 
ness to us, ought we not to trust him for the fu- 
ture, and conclude that he will yet deliver us 1 
We may then commit our souls to him in well 
doing, having this conviction, that in all cases 
of danger and distress “ he shall cover thee 
with his feathers, and under his wings shalt 
thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and 
buckler.” 

If then we would trust in the Lord, we must 
consider how weak and ignorant we are, and 
divest our minds of all presumption and self- 
confidence. If we accustom ourselves to think 
and speak frequently of the kindness and effi- 
ciency of divine Providence, we shall feel our- 
selves inclined more and more to trust in God, 
and rely on his promises. Then the name of 
the Lord shall be unto us a strong tower, into 
which we may run and find safety. 

Section IV . — Of submission to God. 

Submission to the will of God is of two 
kinds : the submission of obedience, which con- 
sists in a ready compliance with his commands 
in all things ; and the submission of patience, 
which is a quiet and cheerful suffering of what- 


140 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


ever afflictions he may see fit to lay upon us, 
and which is the duty here chiefly to be recom- 
mended and enforced. 

Patience may be defined, “ a gracious temper 
wrought in the heart of a believer by the power 
of the Holy Ghost. It is a disposition to suffer 
whatever pleases God, in the manner, and for 
the time that pleases him.” 

Patience is one of the passive virtues, and 
necessarily implies a state of suffering, either 
of body or mind, or both. 

God is not, properly speaking, the author of 
suffering. Pain entered the world through sin ; 
and though God has been pleased to save his 
people from sin in this world, he has not granted 
them an exemption from all sufferings while 
here on earth, but has made suffering conduce 
to their salvation from sin, and at the same time 
furnish an occasion for the exercise of a most 
excellent and amiable virtue, which could have 
had no existence in a state of happiness without 
pain. 

Our sufferings come from various quarters, — 
from ourselves, from good men, from wicked 
men and devils, and above all, from that gracious 
economy which God introduced for the salvation 
of mankind after the fall. Under this economy 
the sufferings of the present life are disciplin- 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


141 


ary, and indispensable. Nor does it make any 
difference whether the immediate cause of our 
suffering be in ourselves or others, in good or 
bad men. Some have supposed that they were 
not bound to bear patiently the sufferings brought 
on them by wicked men. But this is a great 
mistake. If we are not required to bear with 
patience the sufferings which come upon us 
through the agency of designing, wicked men, 
then are we at liberty to be angry, and to indulge 
in a revengeful spirit, which would be sinning 
against our own souls, and against God, who 
suffers wicked men to trouble us. Shall we 
choose our own trials, and say we will have this 
and that, but not the other 1 Who has givo*i 
us the right to do thus 1 It would be breaking 
the law of our divine Redeemer, which requires 
us to render good for evil, to be of a forgiving 
spirit, to bless them that curse us, and pray for 
them that despitefully use and persecute us. So 
deep is the depravity of our hearts, and so per- 
verse our wills, that it frequently requires trials 
of the most painful kind to subdue the one, and 
purge the other. And is it not the glory of the 
Christian to bear the most heavy and difficult 
trials ? Would it be a comfortable reflection that 
there is one, in the catalogue of trials, which he 
cannot bear? Was it thus with Jesus Christ, 


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our divine exemplar ? Did he refuse the trials 
brought, upon him by wicked men, base hypo- 
crites, and devils ? Nay, but he said, “ The cup 
that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink 
it ?” He did not refuse the trials brought upon 
him by the agency of wicked men, but received 
all as coming from, because permitted or suf- 
fered by, his Father. And shall not we do the 
same ? 

Patience, then, is that virtue which submits to 
all events with such dispositions and affections 
of heart, and with such external deportment as 
become those who believe that nothing befalls 
them but by the permission or appointment of 
divine Providence. We must refrain, in times 
of trial, from all discontented thoughts and mur- 
murings against Providence ; from all malicious 
and revengeful feelings against the instruments 
of our sufferings ; and from all unworthy and im- 
proper courses to extricate ourselves from them ; 
so that, suffering according to the will of God, 
we may commit the keeping of our souls and 
bodies to him in well doing as unto a faithful 
Creator. 

In these, and such like acts, does the practice 
of this virtue consist ; and the inducements to 
it arise from considering the character of God, 
and our relationship to him, from the benefits of 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 143 

the virtue itself, and from the advantages that 
accrue to ourselves and others by our patiently 
enduring afflictions. 

It is an observation made by Eliphaz in the 
book of Job, that “ affliction cometh not forth of 
the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the 
ground but both are disposed by God, who, as 
a sovereign, has a right to deal with us as he 
pleases, so long as he leaves us in a state pre- 
ferable to non-existence, and the final cause or 
end of his dealing with us shall be to our 
advantage, arid such as we shall ourselves ap- 
prove. And from these considerations the 
psalmist, in all the calamities that befell him, 
was not only dumb, and opened not his mouth 
in any murmuring or complaint, because it was 
God’s doing ; but carried his resolution to the 
highest pitch of resignation. “ While I live,” 
says he, “ I will praise the Lord, yea, as long 
as I have any being, (though deprived of every 
thing else,) will I sing praises unto my God.” 
He considered the infinite wisdom of the su- 
preme Disposer of events, and implicitly be- 
lieved that there was an exact harmony in all 
his administrations, and that at the last day, 
when we shall behold him in righteousness, and 
when the deep design of this great and wonder- 
ful drama shall be laid open and revealed, every 


144 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

one shall be satisfied with the beauty of it, 
though to us, who now sit in a dark corner of 
the theatre, some of its parts seem very cloudy 
and perplexed. He called to mind his paternal 
relation, and knowing that “ like as a father 
pitieth his own children, so is the Lord merciful 
unto them that fear him.” He could not but 
reflect that he was the servant of God, and that 
it belongs to the master of the house to appoint 
the place and condition of each member of the 
family ; that as he was a sinner, deserving less 
than the least of God’s mercies, it was no more 
than his duty to be contented and thankful for 
any thing short of the damnation of hell. 

“We will bear the indignation of the Lord,” 
says the afflicted church, in the prophet Micah, 
“ because we have sinned against him for 
“ wherefore doth a living man complain, a man 
for the punishment of his sins ?” Since afflic- 
tions are the natural fruits of our miscarriages, 
it is reasonable that we should blame ourselves 
rather than quarrel with Providence about them ; 
especially considering, that were we much more 
innocent than we are, we should still be in a 
state of probation, and that trials of some kind 
are necessarily incident to that state. W e come 
not into this world to do our own will, or to en- 
joy our own wishes, but are naturally “ born to 


THE CONVijRT’S GUIDE. 


145 


trouble as the sparks fly upward,” and should 
not therefore complain if, in the vale of tears, 
we should meet with such trials and crosses as 
are suited to our nature and condition. We 
should reflect also, that no adversity, in kind or 
degree, is peculiar to us ; but, if we take a view 
of others, and compare our cases with theirs, 
we shall find that we have many associates in 
affliction, many far worse, and the most as pain- 
fully affected as ourselves. It has always been 
the lot of the best of men, and the dearest child- 
ren of God, to have these trials and exercises 
of patience ; so that it is said, “ If any are with- 
out chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then 
are they bastards, and not sons.” Above all, 
the “ Captain of our salvation was a man of sor- 
rows, and acquainted with grief, and was made 
perfect through suffering.” What reason, then, 
have we to complain of the afflictions and bur- 
dens of this life 1 

Let us consider, also, some of the advantages 
that accrue to us from our afflictions, and the 
benefits of bearing them with patience. 

He that in patience possesses his soul is 
always calm and serene. His spirits do not rise 
and fall with his circumstances. The actual 
suffering of adversity cannot deject him. He 
relies upon his God. Upon this foundation he 
10 


146 


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stands fixed like a rock in the ocean ; and though 
waves and storms may pass over him, yet he 
remains unshaken, nor can all the shocks of 
adversity ever deprive him of his principles or 
his peace. He is persuaded that his heavenly 
Father “ does not willingly afflict nor grieve the 
children of men and that whenever he does 
so, it is either for the correction of our faults, 
or the improvement of our virtues, seeing that 
“ all things work together for good to them that 
love God,” especially “ that the trial of our faith, 
being much more precious than that of gold, 
which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, 
might be found unto praise, and honour, and 
glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” And 
this is another inducement to patience and re- 
signation under all conditions of life ; that “ our 
light affliction, which is but for a moment, work- 
eth for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory, while we look not at the things 
which are seen, but at the things which are not 
seen ; for the things which are seen are tempo- 
ral, but the things which are not seen are eter- 
nal.” And is there now any room for discontent 
after such considerations as these ? Can a man, 
acting under the persuasion of such facts, be 
disturbed by any accident, or be impatient in any 
circumstances of life ? Can he murmur or re- 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


147 


pine at the stroke of God’s afflicting hand, which 
he knows is given with a gracious design, and 
which, though not for the present joyous, but 
grievous, yields the peaceable fruits of right- 
eousness ? Shall not I then drink the cup, be 
the ingredients what they may, which my blessed 
Saviour hath given me ? He is too wise to mis- 
take my true interest, and too good to prescribe 
any draught but what he knows is wholesome 
for me. • He has given me all the happiness I 
enjoy, and parted with more, for my sake, than 
he can possibly take from me in this world. He 
has laid down his life for my redemption, and 
in lieu of what he takes has provided for me an 
inheritance incorruptible ; and shall I then re- 
fuse the cup which such a Saviour as this has 
given me ? No ; I will count it all joy, when I 
fall into divers temptations ; I will rest satisfied 
with the severest dispensations ; welcome the 
sharpest arrow which comes from his quiver ; yea, 
“ though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” 

Hitherto I have considered the advantage of 
patience arising to the submissive sufferer him- 
self; but we may go farther, and show the effects 
of this virtue on all beholders. Patience not 
only produces peace in the breast of the sufferer, 
but spreads contentment and concord among all 
connected with him. Its tendency is to banish 


148 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


strife and contention, and to unite all hearts in 
bonds of brotherly affection. And herein is the 
grace of God magnified, while it supports and 
comforts us in all our afflictions. As it is often 
the case that one suffers for the benefit of many, 
the grace of God, which abounds in supporting 
the sufferer, shows the power of Christ and the 
excellence of his religion, while it subdues the 
worst passions of our nature, and conquers our 
enemies by the most amiable virtue. 

Section V. — Of rejoicing in the Lord. 

Joy, in general, may be defined, an agreeable 
affection arising from the sensible possession 
of some valuable object, or from the expecta- 
tion of obtaining something that we highly esti- 
mate. 

This is sufficient to show that it is our duty 
to rejoice in God, and will account for the com- 
mand, to “ rejoice in the Lord evermore,” Phil, 
iii, 1 ; 1 Thess. v, 16. 

The saints of old were moved to rejoice in 
the Lord by the consideration of his promised 
salvation, and the innumerable favours actually 
bestowed on them. Thus the psalmist, “ I will 
rejoice in thy salvation,” Psa. ix, 14. “ I.have 

rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much 
as in all riches,” Psa. cxix, 14. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


149 


Our joy in the Lord will be in proportion to 
the value we set upon his favour, and the trea- 
sure we find in him. We will therefore con- 
sider the ground of our pious joy, and the means 
of producing it in our souls. 

As God is the greatest and best of beings ; as 
he is the creator and possessor of all things in 
heaven and earth, both visible and invisible, so 
in and with him we possess all things. “ All 
things are yours,” says he to his covenant peo- 
ple, — and “ all I. have is thine,” to every one that 
serveth him. The pious soul has a treasure 
which worldly men know nothing of, neither 
desire to know. “ In them is fulfilled the pro- 
phecy of Isaiah which saith, By hearing ye shall 
hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye 
shall see, and shall not perceive : for this peo- 
ple’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are 
dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed.” 
“ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and 
your ears, for they hear.” The pious man sees 
all things in God, and God in all things, — and 
all that he sees he claims as his own by virtue 
of the divine promise. 

The time was when he was an alien from the 
commonwealth of Israel, a stranger from the 
covenant of promise, without God, and without 
hope in the world. He saw himself exposed to 


150 


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everlasting destruction, and trembled on the 
brink of ruin. He cried unto the Lord, and he 
heard him, and delivered him out of all his trou- 
bles. He forgave his sins, and made him nigh 
by the blood of Christ. “ Then was his mouth 
filled with laughter, and his tongue with sing- 
ing.” Then said they among the heathen, 
“ The Lord hath done great things for him.” 
Then he became a child of God, and a joint 
heir with Christ, and “ rejoiced with joy un- 
speakable and full of glory.” And well he 
might ; for then the rebel was pardoned, the 
polluted soul was made clean. Then God and 
man were reconciled through the redemption 
that is in Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit was 
sent forth into his heart, as the Spirit of adop- 
tion, crying, “ Abba, Father.” Yielding him- 
self up to his God, his peace became like a river, 
and the love of God was shed abroad in his 
heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him. Yes, 
the kingdom of God, which consists in right- 
eousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, 
was set up in his heart, and his language was, 
and is, “ Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and 
there is none upon the earth that I desire besides 
thee. My flesh and my heart faileth : but God 
is the strength of my heart, and my portion for 
ever.” 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


151 


“ Let others stretch their arms like seas, 

And grasp in all the shore ; 

Grant me the visits of thy face, 

And I desire no more.” 

Yes, all that is implied in the love of God, in 
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the com- 
munion of the Holy Ghost, is his. And having 
given himself to, and received the triune God as 
his portion, every promise in the word of God 
is his. On this ground he claims the pardon 
of all his sins, short comings in duty, and many 
imperfections ; yea, he claims the promise of 
entire sanctification, and of support and of com- 
fort in all his tribulations, as well as those which 
assure him that all things, in the most unlimited 
sense of the word, shall work out for him a far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 
hereafter. All that is implied in a favoured 
life, a triumphant death, and a glorious resurrec- 
tion, are his ; — his is an inheritance with the 
saints in light, a house eternal in the heavens, 
and a crown of righteousness that fadeth not. 
And all, yea abundantly more than he can ask 
or think, is his. Well may he rejoice and be 
glad, and triumph in the Rock of his salvation. 

If, then, it is our duty to seek our own hap- 
piness and the glory of God, it is equally our 
duty to rejoice in the Lord, seeing this is only 


152 THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 

to estimate things according to their intrinsic 
value, and their importance to our happiness. 

Since then it is our duty to rejoice in the 
Lord evermore, let us consider by what means 
we shall attain to this Christian virtue and hap- 
piness. 

It is clear, if we would rejoice in the Lord, 
that we must know ourselves, and God, and the 
importance of his grace to our salvation. No 
ono ever felt this soul- exalting, God-honouring 
affection, who did not first see himself lost, and 
subsequently find God reconciled to him in 
Christ Jesus. So neither did he who makes 
the riches, the honours, or the pleasures of this 
world his main object and aim. Such a one 
never prized the favour of God above all things ; 
nay, he prefers the veriest trifle before the infi- 
nite Jehovah. He must therefore renounce the 
world, and have his heart purged from the lovo 
of it, before he can rejoice in the Lord as his 
portion. 

When this change has taken place in the 
object of his affections, he is prepared to rejoice 
in the Lord, and to increase his joy as he in- 
creases in the knowledge and grace of Christ, — 
in other words, as he advances in holiness. And 
let the Christian, who would rejoice evermore, 
frequently contemplate the transitory, failing, 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 153 

unsatisfying nature of all things here, — and the 
uncertain tenure by which he holds them ; as 
also the excellence of those things which enter 
into Christian experience and a lively hope. In 
this way the one class of objects will wane in 
his view, while the other will increase in mag- 
nitude and brightness. Let us then, by a con- 
tinued effort of faith, and hope, and love, set our 
affections on things above, not on things on the 
earth ; for our life is hid with Christ in God ; 
and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, 
then shall we also appear with him in glory. 
Then our joy shall be consummated, and we 
shall find that 

“ A perpetuity of bliss is bliss.” 

Section VI. — Of heavenly mindedness. 

Heaven is that state of everlasting felicity 
which awaits the righteous after death. Heaven- 
ly mindedness implies our having a constant 
prospect of the other world, which is to be our 
future home, our everlasting dwelling place ; 
and in consideration of this, to be conversant 
with divine things, and have a desire to depart 
and be with Christ, which is far better than to 
continue here. Our blessed Saviour has said, 
“ Where your treasure is, there will your heart 
be also.” And St. Paul exhorts us, “ if we be 


154 


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risen with Christ, to set our affection on things 
above, not on things on the earth : for,” says he, 
“ ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ 
in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall 
appear, then shall ye also appear with him in 
glory.” The same apostle proposes himself and 
the other apostles as an example of this virtue to 
the Philippians, and says, “ Our conversation is 
in heaven, from whence also we look for the 
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The word 
which we render conversation, signifies citizen- 
ship , and refers to a practice among the Romans, 
whereby not only private persons, but some- 
times whole cities and provinces were admitted 
to certain rights and immunities peculiar to that 
commonwealth, though they were neither na- 
tives nor inhabitants of the city of Rome. These 
were sometimes bestowed freely, as a mark of 
friendship and favour ; sometimes purchased at 
a great price ; sometimes inherited by descent ; 
but by which way soever conveyed, the pos- 
session of them was esteemed a very great 
honour and advantage : and in allusion to this 
the apostle intimates that Christians are deni- 
zens of heaven, and though living at a distance, 
are, nevertheless, incorporated there ; ruled by 
the same laws, and admitted to the same privi- 
leges ; and therefore ought to live in the same 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 155 

manner with the blessed inhabitants of that city 
which is above. 

As therefore they are happy beyond all con- 
ception, in the vision and fruition of God, the 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, so should we, by 
holy affections, prayers, and meditation, ap- 
proach near to him ; contemplate the glory of 
his majesty, the beauty of his works, the wis- 
dom of his providence, the wonders of his mercy 
and goodness, and that amazing illustration of his 
love, the redemption of lost mankind by the 
death of his own Son. As their condition is set 
far above the vanities of this world, by the en- 
joyment of bliss unchangeable and eternal ; so 
should the prospect of that bliss raise our hearts 
above the present world ; inspire a holy disdain 
of all its insincere pleasures and uncertain ad- 
vantages ; moderate our desires after them ; 
lighten our afflictions, and reconcile us to the 
approaches of that dissolution which, in death, 
introduces us to a happy and glorious immor- 
tality. As the inhabitants of that world shine 
in all the splendour of divine comeliness, so 
should we possess the habitual mortification of 
all those appetites and passions which move us 
to evil, and that ardent and universal piety which 
will enable us to say with an apostle, “ I am 
crucified with Christ ; nevertheless I live ; yet 


156 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life I 
now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, 
who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Our 
own experience will then furnish us with the 
best comment upon the apostle’s words : 

“ For we know that if the earthly house of our 
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building 
of God, a house not made with hands, eternal 
in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly 
desiring to be clothed upon with our house 
which is from heaven: if so be that being 
clothed, we should not be found naked. For 
we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being 
burdened : not for that we would be unclothed, 
but clothed upon, that mortality might be swal- 
lowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us 
for the self-same thing is God, who also hath 
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. There- 
fore we are always confident, knowing that 
while we are at home in the body, we are ab- 
sent from the Lord. We are confident, I say, 
and willing rather to be absent from the body, 
and to be present with the Lord.” 

He that has laid up his treasure in heaven 
will always have in view that weight of glory, 
that incorruptible crown, with which the suffer- 
ings of this present time are not worthy to be 
compared, no, not to be named. He will me- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 157 

dilate much upon that happy time when, as 
Moses desired, we shall be admitted to an inti- 
mate and unclouded vision of the triune God, 
whom none can see and live. He will contem- 
plate the blessed society of saints and angels ; 
the delicious repasts of anthems and hallelu- 
jahs ; and that more ravishing harmony of divine 
love and intellectual sympathy ; the elevated 
perfections of a glorified soul, the enlargement 
of its understanding, the elevation of its will and 
affections ; and upon the angelical charity and 
divine temper of our resurrection bodies ; in 
short, all those glorious things which are spoken 
of the city of our God; and the infinite conso- 
lations of that joyful welcome, “ Gome, ye bless- 
ed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared 
for you and lastly, he is to contemplate all 
this, not in a cold and indifferent manner, as if 
it were a distant and precarious reversion, but 
as a state that shall shortly and certainly take 
place, and therefore to be embraced with that 
“ faith which is the substance of things hoped 
for, the evidence of things not seen.” 

If such a state await us, and that so soon, well 
may we consider ourselves as “ strangers and 
pilgrims on the earth;” — strangers, alike un- 
known and unknowing in the world ; pilgrims, 
as having a religious duty to perform, and a spi- 


158 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


ritual interest of infinite value to secure. The 
true convert brings all his interests and all his 
duties under religious motives. He is thankful 
for the comforts of the present life, but holds them 
in subordination to his chief comforts and true 
interest ; and thus using them they become mo- 
tives to gratitude, and incentives to piety. He 
rejoices in the ordinances of God’s house, be- 
cause in them God meets him, and deigns to 
hold communion with him. He hears a voice in 
all that his* eyes behold, praising the Lord of all 
for his wisdom, goodness, and power in creation 
and providence, and joins with every creature, 
animate and inanimate, saying, “ Great and mar- 
vellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty.” 
When he walks abroad and beholds the beauty 
and grandeur of the heavens, when he turns his 
attention to that variety which appears in the 
earth and in the sea, all demand, and he cheer- 
fully renders a tribute of praise to their divine 
Author. He enters into the designs of Christ 
respecting the conversion of the nations, and 
his heart deviseth liberal things. All covetous 
and vain thoughts he tramples under foot, and 
his conversation is always with grace, season- 
ed with salt, and suited to the purposes of edi- 
fication. 

The use of the virtue of heavenly mindedness 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


159 


may well employ the thoughts of the convert, 
for a moment at present, and more when he has 
leisure to pursue the subject. 

1. This world may appear great in the eyes 
of him who knows no better ; but it is only to 
converse a little in heaven, and take a view of 
it from thence, and we shall find that, without 
any more effort, it will shrink away to nothing. 
From such an elevated prospect all the pride 
and gayety of this earth would be but like the 
flutter of so many butterflies ; and the business 
and hurry of life like the toils of so many ants 
about a little mole-hill. 

2. As the contemplation and desire of heaven 
diminishes the good, so also it lessens the evils 
of the present life, and is an effectual means 
both to wean us from the one, and support us 
under the other. 

3. And as the desire and contemplation of 
heaven and heavenly things mitigate the afflic- 
tions of life, so, at one and the same time, it both 
furnishes the soul with the greatest comfort 
here, and prepares it for the highest enjoyments 
hereafter. 

Section VII . — Of prayer to God. 

Prayer is the offering of our desires to God for 
the things we and our fellow creatures need. 


160 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

This is a duty, because God has enjoined it ; 
and it is important to the convert, as his salva- 
tion, in a great measure, depends upon it. This 
will account for the frequency with which it is 
urged in the Holy Scriptures. 

The pious in every age have been accustomed 
to call upon God, who has ever shown himself 
ready to grant the things they ask of him. . And 
as the economy of the gospel is constituted, it 
is impossible that there should be a prosperous 
state of piety without the habit of prayer. 

The duty of prayer is too extensive to be 
treated at length in this manual, which pretends 
not to make a regular treatise on this subject, 
but to give some practical directions for the as- 
sistance of the young convert. 

Prayer is a part of divine worship, and as 
such is offered to God only. He alone is able 
to give us, and to do for us, what we need ; and 
it would be idolatry to pray to any other being. 
It is not idolatry, however, to make prayer either 
to Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit ; because we 
consider these divine persons, together with the 
Father, as one God ; and all the persons in the 
trinity possess in common the same nature, and 
the same divine perfections. Hence St. Paul 
inscribes his first epistle to the Corinthians to 
“ all that in every place call upon the name of 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


161 


Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours,” 
1 Cor. i, 2. But according to the economy of 
the gospel, which God has instituted for our 
benefit, the general method to be observed in 
prayer is, to address the Father in the name of 
Christ, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. 

Prayer, as we have said, is the offering up the 
desires of the soul to God, and has been gene* 
rally divided into adoration, confession, suppli- 
cation, intercession, and thanksgiving. 

1. Adoration is the act of rendering divine 
honours to God, with the greatest reverence, 
esteem, and love. We should never be found 
without a deep sense of the divine perfections 
and majesty ; and especially when we come into 
his presence to make prayer and supplication, 
we should realize the glory and majesty of him 
to whom we address ourselves. We should 
consider that he is a Spirit, and approves only 
those who worship him in spirit and in truth ; that 
he reads our thoughts, and knows the motives 
from which we act ; and that if there be any 
insincerity in us, he must disapprove and frown 
upon it. When we are thus impressed with the 
majesty of God, we shall humble, yea, abase 
ourselves as in the dust, and be ready to reiter- 
ate, in the language of the cherubim in Isaiah’s 
vision, “ Holy! holy! holy is the Lord of hosts!” 

11 


162 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

and cover our faces before him. This will 
effectually prevent all levity of the mind, check 
each vain and wandering thought, and make us 
watchful as to our sentiments, words, and 
actions. 

Sometimes there mixes with our prayers a 
great deal of passion, especially in social meet- 
ings for prayer, which makes some boisterous in 
words and gesticulation, and prompts them to 
use a bold, imperative mode of addressing the 
Deity, which is not only irreverent, but shock- 
ing to our understanding, and the best feelings 
of our hearts. We should have our souls im- 
pressed with such a sense of the divine glory 
and majesty as will fill us with reverence and 
awe ; and, at the same time, we should be im- 
pressed with a sense of his mercy and goodness ; 
for otherwise we should be filled with an un- 
comfortable dread, and should lack the motives 
to delight and confidence which are indispen- 
sable in religious worship. 

2. Confession ; by which we acknowledge 
our unworthiness as sinners before God. See 
1 John i, 9. And thus the psalmist : “ I ac- 
knowledge my transgressions, and my sin is 
ever before me. Against thee, thee only, |iave 
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight.” And 
then carrying his reflection to the origin of his 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


163 


transgression, he adds, “ Behold, I was shapen 
in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive 
me.” As all have sinned and come short of the 
glory of God, so is the duty of confessing re- 
quired of all; and hence it is written, “ He that 
covereth his sins shall not prosper : but whoso 
confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mer- 
cy,” Prov. xxviii, 13. Nor is the work of con- 
fession ended when we have obtained pardon ; 
but as under the Mosaic law, “ there was a re- 
membrance of sins every year,” so we should 
frequently call to mind the years we have spent 
in sin, both in transgressing the law of God and 
rejecting the gospel. 

Our more aggravated sins, both of heart and 
life, we should remember with deep and increas- 
ing sorrow. And those short comings and errors 
which Christians generally overlook, should en- 
ter into our penitential confessions. Examples 
of each kind we frequently meet with in the 
Holy Scriptures, especially in the Psalms; and 
therefore, to assist the convert in this part of his 
duty, I refer him to those holy compositions 
usually called the penitential psalms , which are 
the 6th, 32d, 38th, 51st, 102d, 130th, and 143d. 

As we have not only sinned against God, but 
against man also, and thereby laid stumbling 
stones in the way of our fellow creatures, we 


164 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

must confess to them also, and accompany our 
confessions, as far as possible, with reparation 
of the injuries done them. Without the latter 
the former will not be acceptable with God. 

3. Supplication . This may be considered as 
the solemn, earnest asking for pardon, grace, 
and every thing we need for ourselves. Matt, 
vii, 7. Examples of this branch of prayer are 
so numerous, and so easily referred to, that I 
need not mention them. 

4. Intercession; by which is meant prayer for 
others. James v, 16 ; Acts xii, 5 ; 1 Tim. ii, 1, 
2, 8. When the convert has carefully read 
these passages, he will be ready to attend to 
the following specifications : 

(1.) When he has seriously considered the 
circumstances of his nearest relations, (who, 
next to himself, demand his earnest prayers,) 
their corporeal and spiritual, secular and reli- 
gious wants, let him bring their cases and cir- 
cumstances to God, and intercede for them be- 
fore “ the throne of heavenly grace.” 

(2.) In like manner let him intercede for 
those with whom he is connected in business. 

(3.) Let him consider the state of the church, 
whether prosperous or otherwise, and adapt his 
prayers accordingly. 

(4.) He may consider the state of the con- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 165 

gregation with which he meets from sabbath to 
sabbath, whether false doctrines and ungodli- 
ness prevail therein, to the dishonour of Christ 
and the injury of souls, and make his prayers 
accordingly. 

(5.) He must take an interest in the benevo- 
lent and Christian enterprises of the church, and 
‘ ask the blessing of God upon them. 

(6.) He should extend his sympathies and 
prayers to churches, congregations, and insti- 
tutions of other denominations, as well as those 
of his own. 

(7.) As he is a member of a nation, he should 
consider what crimes prevail in the land, what 
judgments we have reason to fear, and give the 
legislature and executive officers, together with 
the political and civil institutions of the nation, 
a place in his prayers. 

(8.) As he is one of a race of intelligent be- 
ings, his prayers should be that the whole world 
may be brought under the sceptre of Christ. 
All these subjects will suggest matter for in- 
tercession. 

5. Thanksgiving , or gratitude to God for all 
his benefits, whether secular or spiritual. 


166 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


Observations , showing how the several branches of prayer 
run into , and promote each other. 

To approach the Deity with sentiments of 
adoration in our hearts, and with corresponding 
words upon our tongues, is a proper girding up 
the loins of the mind for the duty of prayer in 
general. Unless we are impressed with a sense 
of the holiness, power, glory, and majesty of 
God, we cannot use, profitably, any branch of 
prayer. The prayer of confession derives its 
character as well from a view of the glorious 
perfections of the Deity, as from our own vile- 
ness and unworthiness. Even sinless beings, 
in view of the divine glory, prostrate themselves, 
cover their faces, and reiterate, “ Holy, holy, 
holy, is the Lord of hosts !” How much more 
should sinful beings abase themselves in the dust 
in the presence of the glorious Jehovah, while 
they confess their sins before him ? So also 
every other kind of prayer derives its character 
and acceptableness, in a great measure, from 
the same source. If we would be thankful for 
blessings received, we must be sensible that 
they are the gifts of Him who is self-existent 
and independent, bestowed on sinners, who 
have forfeited all claims to favour. In like 
manner, supplication (taken as prayer for our- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


167 


selves) and intercession (as prayer for others) 
mutually promote each other. We cannot pray 
for ourselves as we ought, unless we pray for 
our brother also. When, therefore, the convert 
comes to the throne of grace, and finds himself 
in a dry and listless frame, so that he cannot 
pray, even for his own salvation, with any fer- 
vour, he should examine himself in this man- 
ner : “ How am I impressed and affected with 
a view of the glorious character of the Deity ? 
Have I any measure of the spirit of adoration, 
even now, while in the immediate presence of 
the glorious and heart-searching God? Have 
I any proper sense of the good I receive at his 
hand ? Have I any gratitude for all the bless- 
ings, temporal and spiritual, that I enjoy through 
the mercy of my heavenly Father, and the mer- 
its of my Saviour ! Do I realize, in any proper 
degree, that I am an infinite debtor to divine 
goodness ? Have I preserved the spirit of con- 
fession and penitence ? Have I continued in 
supplications and prayers, with watching, all the 
day long ? Have I been affected with the wants 
and miseries of my fellow creatures, and have 
I prayed for them as I should have done V’ 

Sin, of one kind or another, is always the 
cause of the barrenness complained of. Even 
the sin of omission will induce this state. And 


168 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


this omission may lie at some distance of time 
past. You may not have prayed for yourself, or 
your neighbour ; or you may not have given 
thanks for the mercies you enjoy, or the spe- 
cial interpositions of Providence by which your 
life or health has been preserved ; and thus you 
have quenched the Spirit, who is now reproving 
you for your neglect of duty. O hear his voice, 
and amend your ways. Remove the cause, and 
the effect will cease. Confess your sins of 
omission as well as of commission, and humble 
yourselves before your Maker, so will he again 
send the Holy Spirit into your hearts, to help 
your infirmities. Commence crying earnestly 
to God for your neighbour, your brother ; and 
God will give you the spirit of supplication for 
yourselves. Or be regular and earnest in prayer 
for yourselves, and God will give you the spirit 
of intercession for others. Thus do the differ- 
ent kinds of prayer assist each other, and he who 
would have divine help in each, must be atten- 
tive to all. 

It is not to be expected that the convert should 
pray for all men, and for every particular case, 
each time he goes to the throne of grace. He 
may not have time for this, or his time may not 
be his own, or at his own command. But there 
is no person, in ordinary circumstances, but may 


THE CONVERTS GUIDE. 169 

find time, twice or thrice in the four-and-twenty 
hours, for closet prayer. If he can find no other 
time, he should take it from sleep by rising a 
little earlier in the morning, and retiring a little 
later in the evening. He had better do this than 
neglect God and his own salvation. There are 
but few Christians who have not time to bring 
into their closet devotions a view of their near 
relations and those with whom they are con- 
nected in business and friendship, the sick and 
poor around them, the cause of God, together 
with individuals who are exerting an influence 
either for or against the best interests of men. 
And those who have time will find it much for 
their own profit, as well as for the profit of 
others and the glory of God, to do so. 

But almost every Christian has some privi- 
lege of social prayer, either in the family or 
neighbourhood where he resides. These they 
should improve as a hungry man would receive 
victuals when set before him. They may also 
gather up, for the purpose of employing them 
in prayer, many minutes while going to and from 
the place of meeting, as well as many while 
there, which the undevout lose in idle thoughts, 
worldly conversation, and in staring about in the 
house of God. 

There is no subject suitable for the public 


170 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


prayers of the church and congregation, but may 
lawfully and profitably be brought into the closet, 
if the convert have time ; and there are subjects, 
or matter of prayer, of a public nature, in rela- 
tion both to church and state, for which there is 
time, if there be time for any thing. “ All men, 
everywhere,” are required to pray, and to pray 
for “ all men for kings, and for all in authority, 
that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in 
all godliness and honesty. Civil government is 
one of the best gifts that ever God bestowed 
upon mankind. To be sensible of this, and to 
pray for its continuance and prosperity, is one 
of the first duties of the Christian. We cannot 
lawfully be indifferent as to the character of the 
men in whose hands, for the time being, the 
government is, nor to the character of the go- 
vernment itself. It may be said, that the Chris- 
tian has nothing to do in civil matters, or, at 
most, that these things are with the male part 
of the community. But in reply it maybe said, 
that this would contradict the injunction given 
by the Holy Ghost, to pray for “ kings, and for 
all in authority and, farther, if all enjoy the 
blessings of government, it must be an import- 
ant Christian duty for all to pray for the rulers, 
to deprecate national sins and judgments, and 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 171 

to take an interest in all that regards the public 
weal. 

But above all we should pray, both in our 
closets and in the public assembly, that the king- 
dom of God may come ; that it may subdue the 
kingdoms of this world ; and that all the insti- 
tutions of the church, whether literary, moral, 
or religious, especially our academies and col- 
leges, our sabbath school and missionary socie- 
ties, may abundantly prosper. 

I have supposed, that the convert may not 
have at his command all the time he may wish 
for prayer, although much time is ordinarily lost 
which might be redeemed for this holy employ- 
ment. To instance in one case only at present, 
namely, that of the convert who is in circum- 
stances to attend the public worship of God on 
the sabbath. Here he has the privilege of join- 
ing repeatedly in the public prayers of the 
church, where the whole time devoted to this 
employment will amount to from forty to sixty 
minutes in a day. This time, which is fre- 
quently lost in listlessness and dissipation of 
thought, should be spent in earnest prayer. All 
should join heartily with him who leads in 
prayer ; and those who do thus will find their 
souls made like a well watered garden ; while 


172 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

those who go to the house of God without think- 
ing what they go for, and remain idle while 
there, will be sure to go away with barren 
souls. 

There is one kind of prayer which, from its 
peculiar character, I am unwilling to pass over 
in silence, and that is ejaculatory prayer. It is 
that kind of prayer by which the mind is directed 
to God on any emergency, and is derived from 
ejaculor , to dart or shoot out suddenly, and is 
therefore appropriate to describe this kind of 
prayer, which is made up of short sentences spon- 
taneously springing from the mind. The Scrip- 
tures furnish us with many instances of ejacu- 
latory prayer. Exod. xiv, 15 ; 1 Sam. i, 13; 
Rom. vii, 24, 25 ; Gen. xliii, 29 ; Judg. xvi, 
28 ; Luke xxiii, 42, 43. It is one of the prin- 
cipal excellences of this kind of prayer, that it 
can be practised at all times and in all places ; 
in the public ordinances of religion, in all our 
ordinary and extraordinary undertakings, in 
times of affliction, temptation, and danger, in sea- 
sons of social intercourse, in worldly business, 
in travelling, in sickness and pain. In fact, 
every thing around us, and every event, may 
afford us matter for ejaculation. It is therefore 
worthy of our attention, especially when we 
consider that it is a species of devotion that 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 173 

can receive no impediment from any external 
circumstances ; that it has a tendency to sup- 
port the mind, and keep it in a happy frame ; 
that it fortifies us against the temptations of the 
world, elevates our affections to God, directs the 
mind into a spiritual channel, and has a tendency 
to excite trust and dependance on divine Pro- 
vidence. 

It is worthy of remark that our blessed Sa- 
viour has connected prayer with watching in a 
way that shows them reciprocally important. 
Indeed, we can perform neither properly, unless 
we have a regard to both. The psalmist has 
beautifully expressed the idea and importance 
of watching : — “ Behold, as the eyes of servant' 
look unto the hand of their masters, and as the 
eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, 
so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until 
that he have mercy upon us.” According to 
this example we must look continually unto the 
Lord our God , that we may observe and obey 
the first intimation of his will. And it is only 
while we are thus guarded at every point that 
the tempter “ comes and has nothing in us.” 
Then we may expect mercy unto salvation. 
Psa. cxxxiii, 2, and xvi, 8. Thus watching, or 
setting the Lord always before us, we shall be 
kept in the spirit of devotion, and shall find 


174 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


access to God at all times. And, praying much 
and earnestly, we shall find it easy and agree- 
able to watch, and always to see Him who is 
invisible. 

Before closing these remarks on the duty of 
prayer, it will be proper to observe that all our 
prayers must be offered in faith, or in a believ- 
ing frame of mind, to render them acceptable to 
God. “ If any man lack wisdom, let him ask 
of God, who giveth to all men liberally, and 
upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But 
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering — for let 
not the wavering man think that he shall receive 
any thing of the Lord,” James i, 5, 7. “ He 

that cometh unto God must believe that he is, 
and that he is the rewarder of them that dili- 
gently seek him.” Prayer must be offered in the 
name of Christ, with entire confidence in him, 
as the only meritorious cause and medium of all 
the blessings we receive or hope for. And it 
is important also to observe that some blessings 
God has most explicitly promised to bestow 
upon us if we ask him ; as the forgiveness of 
our sins, the entire sanctification of our souls and 
bodies, &c. Other blessings, though he has not 
particularly and positively promised, he may be- 
stow in answer to prayer ; such as raising us 
up when we are sick, delivering us from re- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 175 

proach and obloquy, from poverty and persecu- 
tion, &c. In all cases, therefore, in which we 
have not a positive promise, we must accom- 
pany our prayers with a submissive temper of 
mind, saying with our blessed Saviour, “ Not as 
I will, but as thou wilt” Thus praying, we 
shall leave our cause in the hands of Him who 
is infinitely wise, and good, and powerful, and 
shall realize either deliverance from, or support 
under our trials, and shall be perfectly satisfied 
with the result, knowing that what our heavenly 
Father shall choose will, in every case, be the 
best for us. And thus the true convert will se- 
cure to himself the greatest share of peace and 
happiness, while he commits himself and every 
interest into the hands of his Maker, and rests 
assured that “ all things shall work together for 
his good here,” and procure for him “ a far 
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” 
hereafter. 

Section VIII . — Of ■praise and thanksgiving to God. 

How is it that Christians in general do not, as 
they ought, feel themselves bound to praise and 
give thanks unto the Lord ? This duty is not so 
well understood, nor so frequently enforced, as 
many other Christian duties. And yet there is 
no one more positively enjoined in the word of 


176 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

God, nor one that contributes more to an ele- 
vated devotion, or to a cheerful and heavenly 
6tate of mind. Like prayer, it is suitable for 
the closet, the family, and the congregation of 
the faithful. Our children should be instructed 
in this, as in other Christian duties, and taught 
to praise God with their voices. There is a re- 
ciprocal action between faith, thanksgiving, and 
praise ; and each will quicken and animate the 
other. Let the dejected soul but direct his 
thoughts to the ten thousand blessings he en- 
joys, and his faith will gather strength ; or let 
his faith be retouched as by the finger of God, 
and instantly the emotions of thanksgiving and 
praise will kindle in his bosom. Seeing, then, 
that these are important Christian duties, let us 
endeavour to understand them that we may per- 
form them acceptably. 

Praise and thanksgiving, though the terms are 
often used synonymously, in strictness of speech 
have different significations. Praise properly 
terminates in God on account of his perfections, 
and is that act of devotion by which we confess 
and admire his attributes and operations ; but 
thanksgiving imports a grateful sense and ac- 
knowledgment of the mercies we have received 
at his hand. We praise God for all his glorious 
acts of every kind, that regard either ourselves 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 177 

or others ; for liis acts of vengeance, and for 
those judgments which he sometimes sends 
abroad on the earth ; but, properly speaking, we 
thank him only for the instances of his good- 
ness, and such instances chiefly as we, some 
way or other, are concerned in. This is pro- 
perly the distinction between the two words ; 
but since the language of Scripture is generally 
less exact in this matter, we may, in what fol- 
lows, use them as synonymous. 

Let us consider then, in the first place, what 
the nature of this duty implies ; and, secondly , 
the reasonableness of it. 

First : Thanksgiving to God implies our hav- 
ing a lively and deep sense of his excellences, 
and of his benefits bestowed on Us. If we would 
be thankful, we must impress our minds, and 
affect our hearts with a sense of the innumer- 
able blessings, temporal and spiritual, secular 
and heavenly, that we enjoy. As it is gene- 
rally by an induction of particulars that our 
hearts are moved, we must be somewhat parti- 
cular here, and make an effort to bring before 
our minds all the goodness of the Lord. We 
have an example in the royal psalmist. “ I will 
remember the days of old,” says he, “ and me- 
ditate on all thy works, and talk of all thy doings. 
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all 


]78 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

his benefits. I will praise thee, 0 Lord, among 
the people ; I will sing unto thee among tho 
nations ; for thy mercy is great as the heavens, 
and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 
How excellent is thy loving kindness, 0 God, 
how precious are thy thoughts unto me, how 
great is the sum of them! Because thy loving 
kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise 
thee, my soul shall be filled with marrow and 
fatness, my mouth shall praise thee with joyful 
lips. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that 
is within me, bless his holy name. I will praise 
the name of the Lord with a song ; I will mag- 
nify him with thanksgiving. I will sing of the 
mercies of the Lord for ever ; I will make known 
his faithfulness to all generations. What shall 
I render unto the Lord for all his benefits ? I 
•will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the 
name of the Lord ; I will pay my vows unto 
him,” &c. 

Secondly: How reasonable a thing it is for us 
to praise the Lord we may learn by considering, 
1 The nature of God. 2. The nature of man. 
3. The nature of the duty itself. 

(1.) ** Offer unto God thanksgiving,” says the 
psalmist, — to God, who is the author and pre- 
server of our being ; without whose goodness 
we had never been, and without whose care we 


THE COxWERT’S GUIDE. ^ 170 

could not subsist one moment; — to him who 
grants us free access, a constant intercourse, a 
familiar acquaintance with himself; who, in 
consequence of his paternal relation to us, pities 
our infirmities, relieves our wants, comforts our 
sorrows, and assuages all our pains ; — to him 
whose mercies never fail; taking care of us 
when we regard him not, watching over us 
when we sleep, and remembering us when we 
forget ourselves ; — to him who made and go- 
verns the world in reference to our greatest 
good ; who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. 
And is there anything more? Yes; — to him 
who, that he might redeem us from our sin and 
misery, condescended to the lowest humiliation, 
— to inhabit our frail and mortal nature, to sub- 
mit to the laws and conditions of humanity, and 
at last to drink the bitter cup of a most painful 
death ; — yea, to him who not only descended 
from his imperial throne, and became a servant 
for our sake, but designed thereby to exalt us to 
a participation of his royal dignity, his divine 
nature, his eternal glory and bliss, giving us 
crowns and sceptres — crowns that cannot fade, 
and sceptres that cannot be wrested from us ; — 
to him, the enjoyment of whose infinite bene- 
ficence, and the proper appreciation of his every 
blessing, from the drop of water that cools our 


180 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

tongue, to that kingdom which flows down to us 
in the streams of the blood of the Son of God, 
is heaven itself, and the supreme degree of all 
felicity. 

(2.) Thus, if we look up to God we cannot 
but see, that the duty of praise and thanksgiving 
is enjoined upon us, and that the good things we 
receive from above should, in grateful acknow- 
ledgment, be sent back again (as the rivers 
run into the sea) to the ocean of beneficence ; 
from whence the rivers come, thither should 
they return again. 

(3.) The psalmist has given us a good ac- 
count of the properties of praise and thanksgiv- 
ing. “ Praise the Lord ; for it is good to sing 
praises unto our God ; for it is pleasant, and 
praise is comely.” It is good to praise the Lord, 
as it enlarges the powers and capacities of our 
souls, turning them from little and low things, 
and placing them on God and his infinite perfec- 
tions. It is good, as it promotes and facilitates 
the practice of all other duties, insomuch that 
whoever is under a powerful sense of God’s 
goodness, will, with the greatest cheerfulness, 
run the way of his commandments, because he 
has a principle within him which converts the 
most painful duties into a holy delight. It is 
good, as it gives great support to our hope and 


THE COX VERT’S GLIDE. 


181 


dependance on God ; for the remembrance of 
the divine faithfulness and goodness to us, in 
times past, will greatly strengthen and invigo- 
rate both our faith and hope in the promises of 
future succour and support. It is good to praise 
God, as it heightens the enjoyment of his bene- 
fits to such a degree that, while the unthankful 
are dissatisfied with every thing, those who 
have a grateful sense of the divine goodness to 
them feed upon every blessing with content- 
ment, and, like industrious bees, having ex- 
tracted sweetness from various flowers, go sing- 
ing home with it to their hives. 

Another commendation of the duty of praise 
is, that it is pleasant. Our minds are never so 
easy and delighted as when we are able to make 
grateful returns for the favours we have received. 
In other parts of our duty there is something 
painful and laborious : prayer awakens in us a 
painful sense of wants and imperfections, and 
confession induces a sad remembrance of our 
guilt and miscarriages ; but thanksgiving has 
nothing in it but a warm sense of the mightiest 
love, and the most endearing goodness, as it is 
the overflowing of a heart full of love, the free 
sally and emission of soul that is captivated and 
endeared by kindness. There is nothing under 
heaven so pleasant and delightful as, from a 


182 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


warm and vigorous sense of the love of God, to 
breathe up our souls to him in praise and thanks- 
giving; and this gives such *a jubilee to the 
mind, such a sprightly recreation to the heart, 
as far exceeds the studied, artificial pleasures 
of sensuality; and therefore, “ Praise the Lord ; 
for he is good : sing praise to his name, for it 
is pleasant.” 

There is nothing in the religion of Christ that 
has a tendency to produce gloom and melan- 
choly, but the direct contrary, as we learn from 
the nature of thanksgiving and praise. These 
are not mere incidental things, but substantial 
and perpetual Christian duties. And wherever 
the spirit of praise has a governing influence, it 
banishes all moroseness, sorrow, and fear, and 
inspires confidence and cheerfulness, even in 
the midst of opposition, persecution, and death. 
See this subject beautifully illustrated in the 
conduct of that little Christian community at 
Jerusalem, on the day of pentecost, and imme- 
diately afterward, recorded in Acts ii, 42, 47. 

The other commendation of this duty is, that 
praise is comely. And surely a more becoming 
exercise cannot be conceived than this, where 
our hearts are employed in recollecting, and our 
tongues in relating the loving kindness of the 
Lord. To have the great King of heaven and 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


183 


earth surrounded with loud acclamations of his 
joyful subjects, his excellence proclaimed and 
exalted above the highest praise, his wonderful 
works magnified and admired in triumphant ac- 
knowledgments ! what an emblem is here of the 
blessed above ! And what more graceful and 
comely sight can we imagine than a full con- 
gregation of saints blessing and praising the 
Lord, and this out of pure affection, and without 
any view to self-interest, which is more than 
can be said of other parts of our religious ser- 
vice ! Our prayers are designed for the relief 
of our wants ; our faith leans upon the promise 
of future good ; and our hope is a comfortable 
expectation of obtaining it : but praise is a gen- 
erous principle, which proposes no other end to 
itself than the duty of a creature endowed with 
such faculties, toward the most perfect and be- 
neficent of beings. In short, praise is the most 
excellent part of religious worship, the common 
work of the church, both militant and triumph- 
ant. The perfections of God’s nature are its 
object, and the act itself the perfection of ours. 
And therefore, whether it be for great or for 
small, for common or extraordinary, for private 
or public, for temporal or spiritual blessings; 
whether it be for the occurrences of Providence 
that are adverse to our desire, or otherwise ; in 


184 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


all states and conditions, in all the changes of 
life, let the praises of God be in our mouths ; 
and in our minds this song of Moses, the ser- 
vant of the Lord, and this song of the Lamb : 
“ Great and marvellous are thy works , Lord God 
Almighty : just and true are thy ways , thou King 
of saints ; who shall not fear thee , O Lord , and 
glorify thy name ?” Hence praise and thanks- 
giving should make a part of our family and 
closet devotions ; the congregation of the faith- 
ful should lift up their voices together in this 
branch of divine worship ; and our children 
should be instructed, and brought to join in the 
praises of God. 


CHAPTER II. 

CHRISTIAN DUTIES WHICH RELATE IMMEDIATELY 
TO OUR FELLOW CREATURES. 

Section I . — The convert urged to exert himself for pur- 
poses of usefulness. 

Our whole duty may be divided into that 
which relates immediately to God, and that 
which relates more immediately to man. Of 
the former I have spoken somewhat largely in 
the foregoing pages, and now come to treat of 
the latter. Those two branches of our duty can 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


185 


never be divided. This gives importance to the 
duties we owe our fellow creatures, and shows 
that true religion is always accompanied with 
good works, yea, that they are a part of it. 

The convert, having obtained the forgiveness 
of sins, and found the love of God shed abroad 
in his heart, feels an inexpressible desire that 
all mankind may experience the same grace. 
This is according to the “ command which we 
have heard from the beginning,” and which will 
ever continue in unimpaired force, that “ he who 
loveth God should love his brother also.” If 
these are indeed the sentiments of your heart, 
O reader, and not an empty sound of words, they 
will be attended with a serious concern to act 
in accordance with this great scheme of divine 
Providence, and that to the extent of your abil- 
ities. You must survey the peculiar circum- 
stances of your life and being, that you may dis- 
cover what opportunities and means of useful- 
ness they now afford, and how they may be im- 
proved to the best advantage. 

And here let me ask, has God given you ge- 
nius and learning ? It was not that you might 
amuse and deck yourself with them, and kindle 
a blaze which should only serve to attract and 
dazzle the eyes of men ; they were intended to 
be the means of leading both yourself and them 


186 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

to the Father of lights. And it is your duty, 
according to the peculiar turn of that genius and 
capacity, to improve and adorn human life, and 
by a direct application of them to divine sub- 
jects, to plead the cause of religion, to defend 
its truths, to enforce and recommend its practice, 
to deter men from courses which would be dis- 
honourable to God, and fatal to themselves, and 
to try the utmost efforts of all the solemnity and 
tenderness with which you can clothe your 
addresses, to lead them into the paths of virtue 
and happiness. 

Hath God invested you with power either in 
a larger or smaller society ? Remember that 
this power was given you that God might be 
honoured, and those placed under your govern- 
ment, whether domestic or public, might be made 
happy. Be concerned, therefore, that your trust 
be not in vain. Are you a magistrate ? Have 
you any share in the great and tremendous 
charge of enacting laws ? Reverence the au- 
thority of the supreme Legislator, the great 
Guardian of society ; promote none, consent to 
none, which you do not in your own conscience 
esteem in present circumstances an intimation 
of his will, and in the establishment of which 
you do not firmly believe you shall be “ his 
minister for good.” Have you the chrage of 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE, 


187 


executing laws ? Put life into them, by a vigor- 
ous and strenuous execution, according to the 
nature of the office you bear. Retain not an 
empty name of authority. Permit not yourself, 
as it were, to fall asleep on the tribunal. Be 
active, be wakeful, observe what passes around 
you. Protect the upright and the innocent. 
Unveil every dishonest act, and, as far as pos- 
sible, drive crime and wickedness out of the 
world. 

Are you placed only at the head of a private 
family ? Rule it for God. Administer the con- 
cerns of that little kingdom with the same views, 
and on the same principles, which I have been 
inculcating on the powerful and the great. Your 
children and servants are your natural subjects. 
Let good order be established among them, and 
keep them under a regular discipline. Let them 
be instructed in the principles of religion, that 
they may know how reasonable such a disci- 
pline is ; and let them be accustomed to act 
accordingly, that God may bless them with tho 
riches of his grace. And fail not to do your 
utmost to convince them of their need of his 
grace ; labour to engage them to a high esteem 
of it, and to an earnest desire after it, as incom- 
parably more valuable than every thing else. 

Has God been pleased to raise you to esteem 


188 the convert’s guide. 

among your fellow creatures ? Are your coun- 
sels heard with attention ? Does God give you 
acceptance in the eyes of men, so that they 
overlook faults of which you are conscious, and 
consider your actions in the most favourable 
light? You ought to consider this as giving 
much greater opportunities of usefulness than 
you could otherwise have had. If your charac- 
ter has any weight in the world, throw it into the 
right scale. Endeavour to keep virtue and good- 
ness in countenance ; nor suffer yourselves to 
be interrupted in your course by the little at- 
tacks of envy and calumny which you may 
meet with in it. Be still attentive to the gene- 
ral good, and steadily resolute in your efforts to 
promote it ; and leave to Providence to guard or 
rescue your character from the base assaults 
of malice and falsehood, which will often, with- 
out your labour, confute themselves, and heap 
upon the authors greater shame, or (if they be 
inaccessible to that) greater infamy than your 
humanity will allow you to wish them. 

Again. Has God blessed you with riches ? 
Has he placed you in such circumstances that you 
have more than you absolutely need for the sub- 
sistence of yourself and family? Remember 
your approaching account ; remember what in- 
cumbrance these things often prove to men in 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


189 


the way of their salvation, and how often, ac- 
cording to our Lord’s express declaration, they 
render it as difficult to enter into the kingdom 
of God as for a “ camel to go through the eye 
of a needle,” Matt, xix, 24. Let it therefore be 
your immediate, your earnest, your daily prayer, 
that riches may not be a snare and a shame to 
you, as they are to by far the greater part of 
their possessors. Appropriate, I beseech you, 
some proportion of your estate and income to 
charitable and benevolent uses, with a provi- 
sional increase, as God shall prosper you in 
business. By this means you will always have 
a fund of charity at hand, and you will probably 
be more ready to communicate, when you look 
upon what is so deposited as not, in any sense, 
your own, but as already actually given away to 
those uses, though not yet assigned to particular 
objects. Make a trial for one year, on such terms 
as in your conscience you believe will be most 
pleasing to God ; and let your observations on 
that teach you to fix the proportion for the next, 
always remembering that he requires justice in 
the first place, and alms-deeds only so far as 
may consist with that. Yet, at the same time, 
take heed of that treacherous, delusive, and, in 
many instances, destructive imagination, that 
justice to your families requires you to leave 


190 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

your children rich, which has, no doubt, cost 
some parsimonious parents the lives of those 
darlings for whom they had laid up the portion 
of the poor ; and what fatal consequences of 
divine displeasure may attend it to those that 
survive, God only knows ; and I heartily pray 
that you or yours may never learn by expe- 
rience. 

In order that your heart may be yet more 
opened, and that your charity may be directed 
to the best purposes, look around in the neigh- 
bourhood in w r hich you live.. Think how many 
honest and industrious, perhaps I might also 
add, religious people, are making very hard shifts 
to struggle through life. Think what a comfort 
that would be to them, which you might, with- 
out any inconvenience, spare from that abun- 
dance which God has given you. Hearken also 
to any extraordinary calls of charity which may 
happen, especially those of a public nature, and 
help them forward with your example and your 
interest, which, perhaps, may be of much greater 
importance than the sum you contribute, consi- 
dered in itself. Have a tongue to plead for the 
necessitous, as well as a hand to relieve them, 
and endeavour to discountenance those poor, 
shameful excuses which covetousness often dic- 
tates to those whose art may indeed set some 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


191 


varnish on what they suggest, but so slight a 
one that the coarse ground will appear through 
it. See how many poor children are wander- 
ing naked and ignorant about the streets, and in 
the way to all kinds of vice and misery; con- 
sider what may be done toward clothing such 
of them as have not been provided for by any 
of the public charities, or sabbath school asso- 
ciations among us, and instruct them in tho 
principles of religion. Would every thriving 
family in a town, to whom God has given the 
means, cast a pitying eye on one poor family in 
the neighbourhood, and take it under their 
patronage, to assist in feeding, and clothing, 
and teaching the children, in supporting its 
members in affliction, in defending them from 
wrongs, and in advising the parents or governors 
of the household, as circumstances may require, 
how great a difference would soon be produced 
in the appearance of things among us? ^It is 
true, that much has been done and is doing 
among us, by benevolent individuals and asso- 
ciations, to relieve the necessities of the poor ; 
but it is small when compared with what re- 
mains to be done. Consider also that ignorance 
is the parent of innumerable vices and mise- 
ries, which afflict mankind and disturb the 
peace of society ; and let a part of what you 


192 THE CONVERTS GUIDE. 

can spare be devoted to the cause of education,- 
particularly in supporting academies and col- 
leges, and helping young persons of genius and 
enterprise to such an education as will enable 
them to instruct others also ; considering that 
those who contribute to enlighten the public 
mind, promote in no ordinary degree the virtue 
and happiness of the community. Contribute 
freely some portion of what God has given you 
to those who minister the gospel of Christ to 
the poor, and thereby have an equitable claim 
to support from those who are in better circum- 
stances. While you are so abundantly “ satis- 
fied with the goodness of God’s house, even of 
his holy temple,” have compassion on those who 
dwell in a desert land, and rejoice to do some- 
thing toward sending among the distant nations 
of the heathen world that glorious gospel which 
hath so long remained unknown to multitudes, 
though the knowledge of it is life everlasting. 

There are a few important charities, which 
I would point out to those whom Providence 
has intrusted with its various bounties ; remark- 
ing, that gold is rendered more valuable than it 
could appear in any other light, as it is capable 
of being employed for such purposes. But if 
you should not have gold to spare for them, con- 
tribute your silver, or, as a farthing or a mite is 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


193 


not overlooked by God, when it is given with 
a truly generous and charitable heart, let that 
be cheerfully put into the treasury, when richer 
offerings cannot be afforded. 

And that, among so many pressing demands 
for charity, you may be better prepared to an- 
swer them, seriously reflect on your manner of 
living. Compute your expenses and compare 
them with your income. And remember, it is 
not enough that you do not plunge into debt, or 
render yourself incapable of laying up any thing 
for your families. If you be disabled from doing 
any thing for the poor, or any thing proportion- 
ate to your rank in life, by that genteel and ele- 
gant mode of living which you affect, God must 
disapprove of such a conduct ; and you ought, 
as you will answer it to him, to retrench it. 
And be assured of this, that he who renders to 
every man according to his works, will have a 
strict regard to the degrees of goodness in the 
distribution of final rewards ; so that every 
neglected opportunity draws after it an irre- 
parable loss, which will go into eternity along 
with you. And let me add too, that every in- 
stance of negligence indulged, renders the mind 
still more and more indolent and weak, and con- 
sequently more indisposed to recover the ground 
13 


194 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

which has been lost, or even to maintain that 
which has hitherto been kept. 

Complain not that this is imposing hard 
things upon you. I am only directing your 
pleasure into a nobler channel ; and indeed that 
frugality, which is the source of such a gene- 
rosity, far from being at all injurious to your 
reputation, will rather, among wise and good 
men, greatly promote it. But you have far 
nobler motives before you than those which 
arise from their regards. I speak as to a child 
of God, and a member of Christ ; one . joined 
therefore by the most intimate union to all the 
poorest of those that belong to him. I speak to 
you as to an heir of eternal glory, who ought 
therefore to have sentiments great and sublime, 
in some proportion to that expected inheritance. 

Calculate therefore what good is to be done, 
and what you can do, either in your own per- 
son, or by your influence with others ; and go 
about it with resolution, as in the name and 
presence of the Lord. And as “ he givetli wis- 
dom, and out of his mouth cometh knowledge 
and understanding,” go to the footstool of his 
throne, and there seek that guidance and that 
grace which may suit your present circum- 
stances, and may be sufficient to produce the 
fruits of holiness and usefulness, to his more 


THE convert’s guide. 195 

abundant glory, and to the honour of your Chris- 
tian profession. 

But it may be said, that all have not either 
extraordinary genius, or learning, or wealth ; 
and can those thus destitute of talents do any 
thing to promote the interests of their fellow 
creatures ? Yes, truly, there are none so desti- 
tute that they cannot be useful in more ways 
than one. All may love and pray for their fel- 
low creatures, and exhibit before them the vir- 
tues and excellences of pure religion. All may 
have light, and may make that light shine to all 
around them ; thus exerting an influence most 
salutary upon the condition of mankind in 
general. 

The considerations by which we may enforce 
the duty of good works in general are many 
and weighty. The good works required of 
Christians constitute one half of religion. They 
are the evidence to the world of the sincerity of 
our hearts, and of the excellence of Christianity. 
They nourish faith and keep it alive. “ As the 
body without the soul is dead, so faith without 
works is dead also and works without faith 
are but the semblance of righteousness. And 
hence those who make the fervours of their 
minds in devotions, the whole or the principal 
part of their religion, deceive themselves. Or, 


196 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


discarding both faith and fervours, their worka 
degenerate into a mere hypocritical show of 
godliness. 

The Scriptures speak in the highest . terms 
of good works. They constitute a “ good founda- 
tion, laid up in store against the time to come, 
that we may lay hold on eternal life,” 1 Tim. vi, 
17-19. And when the great Judge shall “ga- 
ther all nations before him, he will divide the 
righteous from the wicked, as a shepherd di- 
videth the sheep from the goats : and shall set 
the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on 
the left,” &c., Matt, xxv, 32-40. Here the dif- 
ference of character and state between the 
righteous and the wicked is made to consist in 
the good works of the one, and the lack of them 
in the other ; agreeably to that word of out 
Saviour, “ By thy words slialt thou be justified, 
and by thy words shalt thou be condemned.” 
So great an object is it in the view of our Sa- 
viour himself to relieve the wants of our fellow 
creatures in this world, that he considers what- 
ever is done to them as done to himself, and 
assures us it will have an important bearing on 
our future, everlasting happiness.* 

* A large part of the foregoing chapter is from the Rise 
and Progress of Religion, by Dr. Doddridge. 


THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 


197 


Section* II . — Of the love of our neighbour , or charity. 

Having in the foregoing section spoken at 
some length of the obligation we are under to 
maintain good works in general, I come now 
to speak of one particular branch of our duty to 
mankind a little more fully, viz., love, or charity , 
as described by the apostle in 1 Cor. xiii, 4-8. 
The word translated charity, should undoubtedly 
have been rendered love , as the word charity is 
used in many cases for alms-giving only. Love, 
that is, the love of our neighbour, implies much 
beside alms-giving, and without it, the gift of 
tongues, prophesying, understanding all myste- 
ries, and all knowledge, faith to remove moun- 
tains, giving all our goods to feed the poor, and 
our bodies to be burned, would profit us nothing. 
Let us then see what are the properties of that 
love, which comes thus recommended to us. 
The apostle has given us sixteen of these pro- 
perties, which the convert would do well to 
commit to memory, that he may always have 
them with him for use as occasion may re- 
quire. 

1. Charity or love suffereth long ; is long-suf- 
fering or patient toward all men : it suffers all 
the weakness, ignorance, errors, infirmities— all 
the frowardness and littleness of faith in the 


198 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

children of God ; all the malice and wickedness 
of the children of the world ; feeding our enemy 
when he hungers ; if he thirst , still giving him 
drink ; thus continually heaping coals of melt- 
ing love upon his head ; and in every step en- 
deavouring to overcome evil with good. 

2. It is kind — soft, mild, benign ; it stands at 
the utmost distance from moroseness, from all 
harshness, or sourness of spirit ; and inspires 
the sufferer at once with the most amiable 
sweetness, the most fervent and tender affec- 
tion. Consequently, 

3. It envieth not. It is impossible it should ; 
it is directly opposite to that baneful temper ; 
it cannot be that he who has this tender affec- 
tion to all, who earnestly wishes all temporal 
blessings, all good things in this world, and the 
world to come, to every soul that God has made, 
should be pained at his bestowing any good gift 
on any child of man. If he has himself received 
the same, he does not grieve, but rejoices, that 
another receives the common benefit. If he 
has not, he blesses God that his brother, at 
least, has, and is therein happier than himself ; 
and the greater his love, the more does he re- 
joice in the blessings of all mankind ; the more 
is he removed from every kind and degree of 
envy toward any creature; 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 199 

4. Love vaunteth not itself— is not rash or 
hasty in judging ; it will not hastily condemn 
any one ; it does not pass a severe sentence 
upon a slight or sudden view of things ; it first 
weighs all the evidence, particularly that which 
is brought in favour of the accused. A true 
lover of his neighbour is not like the generality 
of men, who see a little, presume a great deal, 
and hurry to the conclusion. No : he proceeds 
with wariness and circumspection, taking heed 
to every step, willingly subscribing to that rule 
of the ancient heathen, “ I am so far from lightly 
believing what one man says against another, 
that I will not easily believe what a man says 
against himself ; I will always allow him second 
thoughts, and many times counsel too.” 

5. Love is not puffed up ; it does not incline 
or suffer any man to think more highly of him- 
self than he ought to think, but rather to think 
soberly ; yea, it humbles the soul in the dust ; 
it destroys all high conceits which engender 
pride, and makes us rejoice to be as nothing. 
They that are kindly affectioned one to another 
with brotherly love , cannot but in honour prefer 
one another. Those who, having the same love, 
are of one accord, do in lowliness of mind each 
esteem others better than themselves. 

G. Doth not oehave itself unseemly . This is 


200 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

the sixth character, and implies that love is not 
rude, or willingly offensive to any. It renders 
to all their due, fear to whom fear, honour to whom 
honour ; courtesy, civility, humanity to all the 
world ; in their several degrees honouring all 
men. Good breeding, nay, the highest degree 
of it, politeness, is defined to be a “ continual 
desire to please, appearing in all the behaviour.” 
If so, there is none so well-bred as the Chris- 
tian — a lover of all mankind ; for he cannot but 
desire to please all men for their good to edifi- 
cation : and these desires cannot be hid ; they 
will necessarily appear in all his intercourse 
with man, for his love is without dissimulation ; 
it will show itself in his whole conversation and 
actions ; yea, and will constrain him, though 
without guile, to become all things to all men, 
if by any means he may save some. And in 
becoming all things to all men, love 

7. Seeketh not her own. In striving to please 
all men, the lover of mankind has no immediate 
eye to his own temporal advantage ; he covets 
no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel ; he desires 
nothing but the salvation of their souls ; nay, he 
may be said not to seek his own spiritual any 
more than temporal advantage ; for while he is 
on the full stretch to save their souls from death, 
he, as it were, forgets himself: he does not 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 201 

think of himself, so long as that zeal for the 
glory of God swallows him up. 

8. No wonder that such love is not provoked ; 
the word easily is not in the original. St. Paul’s 
words are absolute — love is not provoked; it is 
not provoked to unkindness toward any one. 
Occasions, indeed, will frequently occur — out- 
ward provocation of various kinds ; but love 
does not yield to provocation ; it triumphs over 
all — is never exasperated and thrown into bitter 
and implacable resentments : in all trials it looks 
unto Jesus, its great exemplar, and is more than 
conqueror in his love. And it prevents a thou- 
sand provocations, which would otherwise arise, 
because 

9. It thinketh no evil. Indeed, the merciful 
man cannot avoid thinking many things that are 
evil ; he cannot but see them with his own 
eyes, and hear them with his own ears ; for 
love does not put out his eyes, so that it is im- 
possible for him not to see that such things are 
done ; neither does it take away his understand- 
ing any more than his senses ; but it does not 
infer evil where it does not appear, or suppose 
what it hath neither seen nor heard. This is 
what true love absolutely destroys ; it tears up, 
root and branch, all imagining what we have 
not known ; it casts out all jealousies, all evil 


202 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

surmises, all readiness to believe evil ; it is 
frank, open, unsuspicious ; and, as it cannot 
design, so neither does it fear evil. 

10. It rejoiceth not in iniquity. Love rejoicetk 
not in iniquity — common as it is even for those 
to do so who bear the name of Christ. The 
true Christian, however, is so far from this that 
he laments either the sin or folly of an enemy ; 
takes no pleasure in hearing or repeating it ; 
but rather desires that it may be forgotten for 
ever. At first view this character of love seems 
to say but little in its favour ; for who can re- 
joice in unrighteousness or falsehood ? But is 
it not frequently the case that persons who have 
received any kind of injury, and have foreborne 
to avenge themselves, but, perhaps, have left it 
to God, when evil falls upon the sinner, do con- 
sole themselves with what appears to them an 
evidence that God has avenged their quarrel; 
and do at least secretly rejoice that the man is 
suffering for his misdeeds. And is not this in 
some sort rejoicing in iniquity ? Again ; is it 
not common for interested persons to rejoice in 
an unjust and sanguinary war, in the sackage 
and burning of cities and towns ; and is not the 
joy always in proportion to the slaughter that 
has been made of the enemy ? And do these 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 203 

call themselves Christians ? If such Christians 
can be saved, demons need not despair ! 

11. It rejoiceth in the truth , wherever it is 
found; in the truth which is after godliness, 
bringing forth its proper fruit, holiness of heart 
and conversation. He rejoiceth to find that 
even those who differ from or oppose him, 
whether in regard to opinions, or some points 
of practice, are, nevertheless, lovers of God, 
and in other respects are irreproachable. — 
He is glad to hear good of them, and to speak 
all the good he can of them, consistently with 
truth and justice. Indeed, good, in general, is 
his glory and joy, wherever diffused throughout 
the race of mankind. As a citizen of the world, 
he claims a share in the happiness of all the 
inhabitants of it. Because he is a man, he is 
not unconcerned in the welfare of any man ; 
but enjoys whatever brings glory to God, and 
promotes peace and good-will among men. 

12. Beareth all things, foe. The twelfth cha- 
racter of love is, that it covereth all things, as 
the original word should undoubtedly be trans- 
lated.* Because the merciful man rejoiceth not 
in iniquity , neither does he willingly make men - 

* Dr. Coke, Bishop Pierce, and others translated panta 
stegci, covereth all things. 


204 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


tion of it. Whatever evil he sees, hears, or 
knows, he nevertheless conceals, so far as he 
can without partaking of other men’s sins. 
Wherever, or with whomsoever he is, if he 
sees any thing which he approves not, it goes 
not out of his lips, unless to the person con- 
cerned, excepting when the honour of Christ 
necessarily requires it — if haply he may gain his 
brother. So far is he from thinking the faults 
or failings of others the matter of his censure 
or conversation, that of the absent he will say 
nothing at all, if he can say nothing good. A 
tale-bearer, a backbiter, a whisperer, an evil- 
speaker, is to him like a murderer. He would 
just as soon take away his neighbour’s life, as 
thus murder his reputation ; just as soon would 
he think of diverting himself with setting fire to 
his neighbour’s house, as of thus scattering 
abroad firebrands, arrows , and death , and saying , 
“Am I not in sport?” He makes only one ex- 
ception. Sometimes he is convinced that it is 
for the glory of God, or, which is the same 
thing, the good of his neighbour, that an evil 
should not be covered. In this case, for the 
benefit of the innocent, he is constrained to ex- 
pose the guilty ; but he always, in this instance, 
moves with the greatest caution, lest he should 
transgress the law of love by speaking too much, 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 205 

or should do more harm than he would have 
done by not speaking at all. 

13. Love believeth all things . It is always 
willing to think the best : to put the most fa- 
vourable construction on every thing ; it is ever 
ready to believe whatever may tend to the ad- 
vantage of another’s character ; it is easily con- 
vinced of what it earnestly desires — the inno- 
cence or integrity of any man ; or, at least, of 
the sincerity of his repentance, if h& has once 
erred from the way. It is glad to excuse 
whatever is amiss ; to condemn the offender as 
little as possible ; and to make all the allowance 
for human weakness which can be done, with- 
out betraying the truth of God ; and when it 
can no longer believe , then 

14. Love hopeth all things. Is any evil re- 
lated of any man ? Love hopes that the relation 
is not true ; that the thing related was never 
done. Is it certain that it was ? But perhaps 
it was not done under such circumstances as 
are related ; so that, allow the fact, there is 
room to hope it was not so bad as it is repre- 
sented. Was the action apparently undeniably 
evil ? Love hopes the intention was not so. 
Is it clear that the design was evil too ? Yet it 
might not spring from the settled temper of the 
heart, but from a start of passion, or from some 


206 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

vehement temptation, which hurried the man 
beyond himself; and even when it cannot be 
doubted that all the actions, designs, and tem- 
pers are equally evil ; still love hopes that God 
will, at last, make bare his arm, and get himself 
the victory ; and that there shall be joy in hea- 
ven over this one sinner that repenteth. Mean- 
time, 

15. It endureth all things ; whatever the in- 
justice, the malice, the cruelty of men can in- 
flict, love is able to endure. It calls nothing 
intolerable ; and never says of any thing, “This 
is not to be borne.” A true believer can not 
only do, but suffer all things through Christ who 
strengthens him. 

16. Charity never faileth. This is the six- 
teenth and last character of love : it never fail- 
eth. It accompanies and adorns the faithful to 
all eternity, and makes a very essential part of 
their preparation for the heavenly world ; in 
which it has an apparent advantage over many 
of those gifts which some are so ready to emu- 
late and pursue, to the neglect and injury of this 
all-important love. But whether men admire 
prophecies , it is fit they should know that these 
shall be abolished when the faith of God’s peo- 
ple shall no longer need to be encouraged, nor 
their devotion to be assisted by such exhorta- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


207 


tions and instructions as are necessary now ; 
or whether they boast themselves of the variety 
of tongues , they shall cease , in those celestial 
regions. One language shall prevail among all 
the blessed inhabitants, and the languages of 
earth be forgotten, as too low and imperfect ; 
yea, a great deal of that knowledge which we 
now pursue with the utmost eagerness, and 
which is very conducive to our present useful- 
ness among mankind, shall then be abolished 
and superseded, as referring to things altogether 
antiquated and passed away, or swallowed up 
in discoveries so much clearer, stronger, and 
more important, that it shall appear, in com- 
parison with them, as nothing. As star-light is 
lost in that of the mid-day sun, so shall our pre- 
sent knowledge be lost in the glorious light of 
eternity.* 

So important is the account of charity given 
in the foregoing extracts, that not one of the 
notes could with propriety be omitted, though 
long for such a work as this. The convert who 
wishes to be thoroughly instructed in the duties 
of the second table, that part of the law which 
shows what is required of us in relation to our 
fellow creatures, should make them familiar to 
his thoughts. The love of our neighbour is 
* See Dr. Coke’s Commentary. 


208 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

the offspring of the love of God ; and both to- 
gether constitute a summary of our duty to God 
and man ; in other words, the whole of religion. 
The subject therefore should receive the closest 
attention, and through much earnest prayer, be 
printed in the heart of every child of God. It 
will receive additional illustration by consider- 
ing the following particular duties. 

Section III . — Of mercy in general. 

Mercy is that disposition of heart which ex- 
cites us to pity and relieve those who are in 
trouble, or to pass by their crimes without 
punishing them. It is distinguished from love 
thus : The object of love is the creature sim- 
ply; the object of mercy is the creature in 
misery. We love our friends simply as they 
are our friends ; but if they fall into misery, love 
works in a way of pity and compassion, and 
love becomes mercy. Hence the gift of Jesus 
Christ, and all the blessings of the covenant of 
grace, are the mercies of God to a ruined race 
of intelligent beings. And hence, too, we are 
required to show mercy to the afflicted and 
distressed among our fellow creatures, to u have 
compassion one of another” and to be “ pitiful.” 
And to hear one another's burdens is to fulfil the 
law of Christ. The duty here enjoined naturally 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


209 


divides itself into mercy to other men’s souls, 
and mercy to their bodies. 

Section IV . — Mercy to men’s souls. 

The miseries which affect the soul, are igno- 
rance in matters of the greatest importance, and 
obstinacy in pernicious and wicked courses. 
To the former belongs the business of instruc- 
tion, and to the other the office of reproof ; and 
our purpose is to see what duties are required 
of us in respect to both these. 

Ignorance, or blindness in things of the 
highest moment for us to know, is one of the 
greatest miseries of mankind in this life. And 
yet what multitudes are in gross error and dark- 
ness respecting both their character and danger 
as sinners ! They know not that they have a 
carnal mind at enmity against God, and that 
their whole life is a series of transgressions. 
They have no proper knowledge of the cha- 
racter of God, or of his law, or that, they are 
under condemnation, and are hastening on to 
eternal death. And equally ignorant are they 
of the character and office of Jesus Christ, and 
of that new and living way cast up for the ran- 
somed of the Lord. “ They have no peace, but 
are like the troubled sea, whose waters cast up 
mire and dirt.” Can we behold a blind man 
14 


210 THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 

walking upon the brink of a fatal precipice, 
without any guide to direct his steps, and not 
feel compassion for him ? And is it not a much 
more deplorable sight to see a poor ignorant 
wretch walking blindfold on the brink of hell, 
and for want of sight to direct him heavenward, 
ready to plunge at every step into everlasting 
destruction? Certainly if we understood the 
worth and value of souls, such a spectacle could 
not but affect us with commiseration, and excite 
us to employ all our faculties to convince him 
of the danger he is incurring, and to instruct 
him by what means he may avoid it ; for this is 
the proper act of mercy which such a miserable 
case requires, viz., to dispel that fatal ignorance 
which surrounds men’s minds, and to enlighten 
them with all the principles of religion that are 
necessary to conduct them to eternal happiness. 

And surely mercy can be at no loss for means 
to enlighten them on all important points. It 
will lay hold on them as though to pull them 
out of the fire ; it will fly to the throne of grace 
in their behalf ; it will send missionaries, with 
the Bible in their hands, to teach them the way 
of life, and employ whatever means God may 
throw in their way. And you must not tire or 
faint in your minds, but with patience and per- 
severance pursue your object ; and remember 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 211 

if you succeed, you save a soul from death , and 
hide a multitude of sins. 

There is another duty which comes under 
this head, namely, that of reproving obstinate 
offenders, who go on presumptuously in their 
pernicious and wicked courses. Those who 
see such persons (and alas ! they are too fre- 
quently seen) are bound to' reprove and ad- 
monish them; for it is written, Lev. xix, 17, 
“ Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, 
thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, 
and not suffer sin upon him.” Not to reprove 
sin, is to suffer it to remain on the offender, 
and thereby we are partakers of his guilt. 

And what a deplorable sight is this — an im- 
mortal soul madly pursuing its own destruction, 
and forcing, as it were, its way into hell, 
through all the resistances of religion, reason, 
and conscience ! Were we to see a madman 
break loose from his chains, and run his head 
against a wall, or, catching up a dagger, thrust, 
it into his own breast, and repeat stab after stab, 
in despite of all our counsels and dissuasives, 
should we not pity and lament his case, and 
endeavour to restrain him from such violent 
outrages against himself? And is it not a much 
more lamentable spectacle to see a wild and 
desperate sinner break loose from the restraints 


212 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

of religion and the fear of God, and in a deaf 
and obstinate rage seize on the weapons of per- 
dition, (for such all wickedness is,) plunge them 
into his own bowels, and, with repeated acts of 
iniquity, imbrue his hands in his own blood, 
while the blessed Spirit is striving with him, 
and endeavouring in vain to disarm him of his 
desperate fury ? What merciful heart would 
not interpose, in order to restrain him by re- 
proof, admonition, and entreaty ? Now this is 
the proper act of mercy in the case before us. 
When we meet with an obstinate sinner, we 
should, by reproof and compassionate admo- 
nitions, endeavour to reclaim him from the evil 
and misery of his way. Does humanity oblige 
us to put misguided travellers into the right way, 
and shall not Christianity prevail with us to call 
back those wandering souls, which have strayed 
from the path of life ? Are we careful to rescue 
the unwary voyager from the danger of striking 
on a rock, and have we no compassion for those 
who, without our interposal, are in immediate 
hazard of making shipwreck of their souls ? Do 
we cry out, when a stranger is running upon a 
precipice, and are we silent when our brother 
is falling into the bottomless pit ? Should we 
think it an instance of barbarity to deny another 
the privilege of borrowing light from our light, 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 213 

and is there no cruelty in withholding from 
them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of 
death, that light which would not shine with 
less lustre to us, by guiding their feet likewise 
in the path of peace ? 

How striking is Mr. Baxter’s reflection on 
this subject in his Saints’ Everlasting Rest : — 
“ Suppose thou wert to meet one in the lower 
world, to whom thou hadst denied this office of 
mercy, when ye were both together under the 
sun ; what answer couldst thou make to his up- 
braidings ? At such a time and place God de- 
livered me into thy hands. I then did not know 
the way of salvation, but was seeking death in 
the error of my life. And therein thou sufleredst 
me to remain, without once endeavouring to 
awake me out of sleep ! Hadst thou imparted 
to me thy knowledge, and vvarned me to flee 
the wrath to come, neither I nor thou need ever 
have come to this place of torment.” 

As to the manner of giving reproof, I can 
only say, let it be done in a proper spirit — in 
meekness, humility, and love. Take an oppor- 
tunity, if God allow it, to speak to the guilty 
person privately, when you may add entreaty 
and tears to your admonition. If this cannot be 
done, take him by the hand, step aside, and de- 
liver the Lord’s message. If the oflence be 


214 THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 

public, and of an aggravated character, rebuke 
him openly, but in love, that others may fear. 
This is mercy to the souls of men. 

Section V. — Of mercy to men’s bodies. 

The miseries which affect men’s bodies are 
either natural blemishes and defects, sickness 
and disease, outward force and violence, or 
want and scarcity of the necessaries of life, and 
with which the offices of mercy and compassion 
are differently conversant. 

All natural blemishes and defects, such as 
lameness, crookedness, want of any of the 
senses, disproportion of parts, are infelicities 
which render our bodies less useful and amiable ; 
but to taunt and reproach them, to laugh at and 
despise any one, or to suffer others to do it in 
our presence, on account of their misfortunes, 
is inhuman and cruel in the extreme. We 
should pity these unfortunate ones, and do all 
in the power of sympathy to relieve their wants, 
and to comfort them in their misfortune. But 
the duty which I would here more particularly 
inculcate is that of almsgiving. The law was 
a dispensation of servility and fear, and had 
comparatively little to move and refine the 
sympathies of our natures ; and yet we hear 
God proclaiming this precept : “If there be 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 215 

among you a poor man, thou shalt not harden 
thy heart, nor shut thy hand against thy poor 
brother ; thou shalt surely give him ; because 
that for this thing the Lord thy God will bless 
thee in all thy works.” 

Well therefore may we expect to find in the 
gospel, which is designed to improve and per- 
fect the tender sentiments of our nature, that our 
instructions should be “ not to lay up treasures 
upon earth, but to be rich in good works, ready 
to distribute, willing to communicate;” to be 
cheerful and liberal in almsgiving ; to give to 
every one that asketh ; that so we may have 
treasure in heaven ! Our blessed Saviour hath 
told us that the poor we have always with us, 
and when we will we may do them good. This 
is that pure religion and undefiled before God ; 
that sacrifice with which he is well pleased ; 
this is the method of expressing our love to our 
gracious Lord, and making him, as it were, our 
debtor : for this is his word, “ Verily I say unto 
you, inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the 
least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto 
me.” What a surprisingly gracious sentence is 
this ! “ Can a man be profitable to God ?” Yes, 

he hath found out a way by which we may give 
something even to him who is Lord of all, be 
merciful to the fountain of mercy, and do good 


216 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

even to infinite goodness itself; in that he 
places to his own account, and graciously ac- 
cepts, as done to himself, whatever we do to 
his afflicted members, for his sake. Then he 
hath left his representatives, that we might 
never want objects on which to exercise our 
love to him even to the end of the world. What 
“ is given to the poor is lent to the Lord,” and 
he will repay it with great increase. 

Do any inquire why that economy is adopted 
in which the poor are numerous, and almsgiv- 
ing required of many 1 The question is easily 
answered; it was to endear mankind to one 
another, and to practise a higher and more ex- 
tensive virtue than could otherwise be performed 
— that charity and gratitude might dwell among 
men ; — charity on the part of the giver, and gra- 
titude on the part of the receiver of favours. 

So much importance and pleasure are at- 
tached to this exercise of charity, that even the 
poor themselves, who are generally the re- 
ceivers, should not be exempt from the occa- 
sional practice of it, and the means to do so 
should be supplied by those in more fortunate 
circumstances. When ar person proposes to 
give a certain sum to any object, let him divide 
that sum with some poor person, who otherwise 
could not give even two mites. In this case as 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 217 

much would go to the object, and the pleasure 
of giving would be enlarged in proportion as it 
passes through more hands. 

I have only one remark more to submit on this 
subject, and that is, let not what should go to 
real objects of charity, be lost on those who 
would spend it upon their lusts in riot and 
drunkenness. A just discrimination of charac- 
ter, as far as circumstances will warrant, is 
always proper. But let not the fear of giving 
to the unworthy be made a cloak of covetous- 
ness, that you may give to none. Personal 
considerations should not be made a reason for 
withholding : — “ If thy enemy hunger, feed him : 
if he thirst, give him drink : for in doing thus 
thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head,” and 
overcome his evil with thy good. 

Our Saviour says, in commendation of the 
work of mercy, “ I was a stranger, and ye took 
me in ;” and St. Paul says, “ Be not forgetful to 
entertain strangers, for thereby some have en- 
tertained angels unawares.” Hospitality in re- 
spect to entertaining strangers is frequently 
and strongly enjoined in the Holy Scriptures. 
“ The entertaining of unknown strangers,” says 
Dr. Owen, “ which was so great a virtue in an- 
cient times, is almost driven out of the world by 
the wickedness of it. The false practices and 


218 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


wicked designs of some under the habit and 
pretence of strangers, on the one hand ; and the 
influence of sordid covetousness, on the other, 
have almost banished it from the earth. And 
there are enough who are called Christians, 
who never once thought it to be their duty.” 
But it is in vain to inculcate the duty, where the 
spirit of it is not found ; and we shall never find 
the spirit of it in any heart, where the love of 
God and man does not rule. Benevolent wishes 
of, “ be ye warmed , and be ye clothed ,” are fre- 
quent enough ; these cost nothing ; and there- 
fore can be readily used by the most parsimo- 
nious. But to “draw out a man’s soul to the 
hungry,” so that he shall draw out his purse to 
relieve the destitute, is not an easy matter, ex- 
cept where the compassionate mind of Christ is 
found. One meal to the poor may often be a 
preventive of death ; for there are times in which 
a man may be brought so low for want of 
nourishment that, if he get not a timely supply, 
after help comes in vain. But it is objected, that 
“ those who go about seeking entertainment and 
relief are idle persons and impostors ; and it 
would be wrong to relieve them.” When you 
know the applicant to be such, then refuse his 
suit ; but if you have nothing but suspicion, 
which generally arises from an uncharitable 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 219 

and unfeeling heart, then beware how you in- 
dulge it. If through such suspicion the poor 
should lose his life, God will require his blood 
at your hand. 

The following anecdote, furnished by the 
Rev. J. Wesley, may serve as an illustration 
of the foregoing remarks. 

“At Epworth, in Lincolnshire,” says he, 
“ where I was born, a poor woman came to a 
house in the market-place, and begged a mor- 
sel of bread, saying, ‘ I am very hungry? The 
master of the house called her a ‘lazy jade,' and 
bade her begone. She went forward, called at 
another house, and asked for a little small beer, 
saying, ‘ I am very thirsty? Here she was re- 
fused, and told to go to the work-house. She 
struggled on to a third door, and begged a little 
water, saying, * I am faint? The owner drove 
her away, saying he would * encourage no common 
beggars? It was winter, and the snow lay upon 
the ground. The boys, seeing a poor ragged 
creature driven away from door to door, began 
to throw snow-balls at her. She went a little 
distance, sat down on the ground, lifted up her 
eyes to heaven, reclined on the earth, and ex- 
pired. Here was a stranger ; had the first to 
whom she applied relieved her with a morsel 
of bread, he would have saved her life. As the 


220 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

case now stands, she was murdered : and those 
three householders will stand arraigned at the 
bar of God for her death.” 

We often hear of persons perishing in the 
cold and storms of our own country, perhaps 
after having been driven from the dwellings of 
the rich, or from the shops of retailers, who had 
taken their last cent for liquor which intoxicated 
them. We are apt to say, when we see a dirty 
ragged object, “ Let him,” or “ let her go to 
the poor-house. There provision is made for 
all such miserable creatures.” And thus we 
put them out of our sight, and think no more 
of them, till we hear that they perished in the 
cold. To the honour of our country be it 
spoken, that institutions for the poor are numer- 
ous, but the expense of them is considerable ; 
and those who have the oversight of them are 
not the most forward to increase the number of 
their inmates ; and as for the poor themselves, 
they know nothing of them, or the steps to be 
taken to avail themselves of their provisions. 
We cannot therefore release ourselves from the 
obligation to entertain strangers, on the ground 
that we have institutions for the poor. If you 
kno w them not to be impostors, to you they may 
be angels , sent of God on an errand of mercy, 
to exercise your charity or to try your faith. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 221 

And how can you call yourselves disciples of 
Him, who, though he was rich, yet became poor 
for our sakes, unless your hearts are ready to 
this good work. 

. Section VI . — Of exhortation. 

Exhortation is the act of addressing such 
motives to the sensibilities of a person as may 
excite him to any duty. It differs from suasion, 
in that the latter principally endeavours to con- 
vince the understanding, and the former to 
work on the affections. It is equally the duty 
of the minister and the private member, and is 
suitable for the pulpit or any other place. 

But it is the Christian duty of exhortation, or 
the duty of all Christians to exhort one another 
that I would here consider. St. Paul teaches 
this duty explicitly in Heb. x, 25 : “ Not for- 
saking the assembling of ourselves together as 
the manner of some is, but exhorting one an- 
other : and so much the more as ye see the day 
approaching.” The believing Hebrews, to 
whom the apostle wrote, lived in a time of per- 
secution, when it was dangerous to meet pub- 
licly in the name of Jesus ; they used therefore 
to hold their meetings privately, among them- 
selves. Some, through fear, forsook the assem- 
bling of themselves together. St. Paul was there- 


222 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

fore directed by the Holy Ghost to admonish them 
not to forsake these assemblies, but to continue 
them for the purpose of mutual exhortation ; es- 
pecially as they could not but see that the day of 
death was near them, and that the judgment 
would follow, and be terribly severe on back- 
sliders and apostates. 

And these duties and admonitions as much 
concern us as they did the Hebrew Christians. 
We have our public and private meetings ; and 
though we are not in danger of severe persecu- 
tion, yet we are in danger of being overtaken 
by lukewarmness and the spirit of the world ; 
and through these we may backslide and make 
shipwreck of the faith. Here then is the work 
of Christians. They are to watch over one 
another in love, and to excite one another to 
diligence in every good deed, that, like the 
wise virgins, they may be ready for the coming 
of the heavenly bridegroom. This, brethren, 
you have covenanted one with another to do, 
and God requires it at your hands. You must 
“ exhort one another daily.” This duty is not 
to be confined to your meetings, but must be 
performed mutually, throughout your family 
circles, and in all your intercourse with those 
around you. And how will you meet one an- 
other in the judgment, if you neglect this duty ? 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 223 

If you see a member of the church particularly 
exposed to temptation ; if you see one whose 
zeal is abating, and whose love is beginning to 
wax cold ; or a presumptuous sinner, who is 
altogether neglecting his salvation, you are to 
exhort him accordingly, and to continue the 
labour of love till your object be accomplished, 
or lie be removed from this world. And this 
you must do to save your own soul as well as 
his. 

Section VII . — Of forgiving iliose who trespass 
against us. 

Our blessed Lord has commanded us to 
“ love our enemies, to bless them that curse 
us, to do good to them that hate us, and to pray 
for them that despitefully use and persecute us. 5 ’ 
Now one branch of this love is exercised when 
we forgive them that have trespassed against us ; 
and this is the duty I shall here inculcate. 

“The word,” says Mr. Wesley, “translated 
forgive , implies either to forgive a debt, or to 
unloose a chain.” In more familiar language, 
it is the act of pardoning an offender, or remov- 
ing the guilt of sin, that the punishment due to 
it may not be inflicted. Of the nature of pardon 
it may be observed, that the Scriptures repre- 
sent the pardoning of sin by various phrases, — 


224 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


as, a covering of it, Psa. xxxii, 1, and xxxv, 2 ; 
a non-imputation of it, Psa. xxxii, 2 ; a blotting 
it out, Psa. li, 1 ; a non-remembrance of it, Heb. 
viii, 12 ; Isa. xliii, 25. This is the language 
the Scriptures use when they speak of the di- 
vine act of pardon. Those whom he pardons 
he receives to favour, constitutes them his 
children, and treats them as though they had 
never sinned. To bring this about, he waits 
long to be gracious, and uses many means. His 
pardon is necessary to the happiness of the sin- 
ner ; ours is not so. Should God forgive an 
offender, he would be happy, though we should 
not. We can forgive only for ourselves ; and 
our forgiving a brother his trespasses respects 
ourselves as well as him. He may repent and 
obtain forgiveness at the hand of God ; but if 
we do not forgive him, we cannot be saved. Our 
forgiving or not forgiving a trespassing brother 
will be the rule and measure of the divine con- 
duct toward us, for he has given this form of 
prayer to be used by us, “ Forgive us our tres- 
passes, as we forgive them that trespass against 
us and adds, “ for if ye forgive men their 
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also for- 
give you ; but if ye forgive not men their tres- 
passes, neither will your Father forgive your 
trespasses.” 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 225 

On these words of our Saviour, Mr. Wesley 
uses the following striking language : 11 As we 
forgive them that trespass against us. In these 
words our Saviour clearly declares, both on what 
condition and in what degree or manner we may 
look to be forgiven of God. All our trespasses 
or sins are forgiven us if we forgive, and as we 
forgive others. This is a point of the utmost 
importance; and our blessed Lord is so jealous 
lest at any time we should let it slip out of our 
thoughts, that he not only inserts it in the body 
of his prayer, but presently after he repeats it 
twice over. £ If' saith he, £ ye forgive men 
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also 
forgive you ; but if ye forgive not men their 
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 
trespasses.’ Secondly ; God forgives us as we 
forgive others. So that if any malice or bitter- 
ness, if any taint of unkindness or anger remain, 
if we do not clearly, fully, and from the heart, 
forgive all men their trespasses, we so far cut 
short the forgiveness of our own ; God cannot 
clearly and fully forgive us. He may show us 
some degree of mercy ; but we will not suffer 
him to blot out all our sins, and forgive all our 
iniquities. 

“In the mean time, while we do not from our 
hearts forgive our neighbour his trespasses, 
15 


226 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

what manner of prayer are we offering when- 
ever we utter these words ? We are indeed 
setting God at open defiance ; we are daring 
him to do his worst. ‘ Forgive our trespasses, 
os we forgive them that trespass against us.* 
That is, in plain terms, Do not thou forgive us 
at all ; we desire no favour at thy hand. We 
pray that thou wilt keep our sins in remem- 
brance, and that thy wrath may abide upon us ! 
But can you seriously offer such a prayer to 
God ! and hath he not cast you quick into hell ? 
O tempt him no longer ! Now, even now, by 
his grace, forgive as ye would be forgiven. 
Now have compassion on thy fellow servant, as 
God hath had and will have pity on thee.” 

Section VIII . — Of the government of the tongue. 

Speech, of which the tongue is the chief in- 
strument, is the gift of God, and is in itself one 
of the noblest endowments. Without it, we 
should be barbarians to one another ; but with 
it, we make known the truths of God, and trans- 
act all the affairs of society. By it we make 
known our thoughts, and minister to each other’s 
edification. And hence the divine rule is, that 
it should be “ chaste,” or pure, “ with grace,” or 
charity, and “ seasoned with salt,” partaking 
of the spirit of piety. But how often are these 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


227 


precepts violated, to the great injury of individ- 
uals and of society. “ The tongue,” says St. 
James, “is a fire, a world of iniquity; it de- 
fileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the 
course of nature, and is set on fire of hell. 
The tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly 
evil, full of deadly poison.” This is the cha- 
racter of the tongue, when employed in detrac- 
tion and slander. 

Slander is a charging one falsely with faults, 
or rehearsing his real faults without a call 
thereto, and with a bad end or motive. It is 
most commonly done when the persons charged 
are absent, and proceeds from malice or envy. 
The phrase in the Greek rendered not slan- 
derer s> is, literally, not devils. 1 Tim. iii, 11. 
“ This,” says Dr. A. Clarke, “ may be properly 
enough translated, slanderers , backbiters , tale 
bearers , &c., for all these are of their father 
the devil, and his lusts they will do. Let all 
such, with the vast tribe of calumniators and 
dealers in scandal , remember, that the apostle 
ranks them all with malicious, fallen spirits, a 
consideration which, one would suppose, might 
be sufficient to deter them from their injurious 
and abominable conduct.” But it may be said, 
that “ the things related are true.” That does 
not alter the character of the action, if they are 


228 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


related unnecessarily. If the faults of a person, 
who is really guilty, be related to clear an in- 
nocent person, or as evidence in a court of jus- 
tice, the case is different. It. then becomes 
necessary, and is a duty ; but to utter them 
wantonly, and without necessity, is a breach of 
the law of charity, and occasions much injury. 
It injures him whose faults are thus related; it 
injures him who relates them ; and it injures, 
because it grieves or corrupts him or them who 
hear the relation. There is no occasion to ar- 
gue this point. We appeal to the sense of 
right and wrong in every man’s breast, and ask, 
Would you take it well to have your faults men- 
tioned behind your back to the prejudice of your 
character in the eyes of them who know you 
not ? And let your answer in this case be the 
rule of your conduct toward others. “ All 
things whatsoever ye would that men should 
do to you, do ye even so to them,” for this is the 
law of God and of reason in the case. 

I have a few things to say respecting some 
of the relative duties, which may come in this 
place, and which must be despatched with a few 
words. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


229 


Section IX . — Of the duty of subjects to their rulers. 

Rulers, in order to be justly entitled to es- 
teem and confidence, and in order to receive 
the respect and obedience of the people, must 
rule with justice, and in the fear of the Lord ; 
not for their own honour and emolument, or the 
aggrandizement of their own families ; but for 
the good of the community at large. And it is 
a Christian duty to honour and obey them. 

Civil government was ordained of God, for a 
public good, to guard and defend the innocent, 
to shelter and relieve the oppressed, to protect 
religion, and to adjust and balance private rights 
and interests. And on the other hand, as rulers 
are God’s vicegerents here on earth, and rule 
by his authority, they have a right to be obeyed 
in all things wherein they do not interfere with 
the commands of God. And as they are the 
representatives of his power and majesty, it is 
our duty to honour and reverence them ; to aid 
and assist them. And it is the voice of inspi- 
ration which says, “ Render to all their dues; 
tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to 
whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to 
whom honour.” 

A sin to which this nation is much addicted 
is that of speaking evil of and slandering their 


230 THE convert's GUIDE. 

rulers. Every party has its favourites among 
those in power, and those who are aspiring to 
office ; and by some strange fatality it would 
seem that every one appears to think that the 
success and popularity of his friend must be 
built upon the ruined character of his political 
opponent. But this course continued must 
prove corrupting and ruinous, as its tendency 
is to prostrate the authority of the laws, and to 
weaken the government. The true convert will 
avoid the evil as soon as he sees it. He will 
pray for the rulers, and for all in authority, that 
we may lead peaceable and quiet lives in all 
godliness and honesty. He knows how great 
a blessing good government is, and will do all 
in his power to render it efficient and perpetual. 

Section X . — Of the duty of people to their pastors. 

St. Paul, being about to take leave of the 
church at Ephesus, sent for the elders that pre- 
sided therein, and gave them this injunction : 
“ Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the 
flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made 
you overseers, to feed the church of God, 
which he hath purchased with his own blood.” 
In his Epistle to Timothy he says, “Take 
heed unto thyself, and to the doctrine : continue 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 231 

in them ; for in doing this thou shalt both save 
thyself and them that hear thee.” And in many 
places ministers of the gospel are exhorted to 
be faithful and persevering in the many and 
arduous duties of the ministry. 

Nor are the Scriptures less express in declar- 
ing what the duties of the people are in regard 
to their ministers. “We beseech you, breth- 
ren,” says St. Paul, “ to know them which 
labour among you, and are over you in the 
Lord, and admonish you ; and to esteem them 
very highly in love for their work’s sake : for 
they are ambassadors for Christ, as though God 
did beseech you by them, they pray you in 
Christ’s stead to be reconciled to God. Obey 
them, therefore, that have the rule over you, 
and submit yourselves ; for they watch for your 
souls as they that must give an account, that 
they may do it with joy, and not with grief ; 
and let him that is taught in the word, com- 
municate to him that teacheth in all good things ; 
for as they which wait at the altar are par- 
takers with the altar, even so hath the Lord 
ordained that they who preach the gospel 
should live of the gospel.” 

Thus honour and respect, submission and 
obedience, a high esteem, and comfortable 
maintenance, are what the people owe to their 


232 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

ministers, besides their daily prayers to God for 
his blessing upon them and their labours. 

Section XI . — Of the duty of servants to their masters. 

St. Paul, treating of the relation in which we 
stand to one another, has comprised the whole 
duty of masters to their servants in this short 
sentence : “ Masters, give unto your servants 
that which is just and equal, knowing that ye 
also have a Master in heaven for though just 
and equal are terms of near affinity, yet may 
they be considered as having different significa- 
tions, and so, to give that which is just to a 
servant, is to deal with him according to the 
contract and agreement that is between us ; to 
give him wha't we have actually covenanted for, 
and what, in point of law, he may demand ; but 
to give him what is equal, is to deal fairly, 
honestly, and kindly with him ; and to give him 
what is his due in reason and conscience, 
though there be no formal contract between us. 
So that there is this distinction to be made be- 
tween justice and equity, that justice makes our 
contracts , and equity our conscience , the measure 
of our dealings with others, and especially with 
the poor. 

The same apostle that acquaints masters with 
their duty is very exact and copious in what. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


233 


on the other hand, is required of servants. 
“ Let as many servants,” says he, “ as are under 
the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all 
honour, that the name of God and his doctrine 
be not blasphemed ; and let them be obedient 
to their masters, and please them well in all 
things, not answering again ; neither with eye- 
service, as being men-pleasers, but in singleness 
of heart, fearing God, and as the servants of 
Christ, doing every thing heartily, as unto the 
Lord, and not unto men ; and this they must do, 
not only for the good and gentle, but also for the 
fro ward ; because this is praiseworthy, if a 
man, for conscience toward God, endure grief, 
suffering wrongfully.” From whence it ap- 
pears, that honour and reverence for their mas- 
ter’s person, expressed by all the external signs 
of words and actions ; obedience to all his 
lawful commands without disputing ; submission 
to his just reproofs and corrections, without 
murmurings ; diligence in business, without 
loitering or eye-serving; faithfulness in trust, 
without purloining or embezzling; and a cautious 
fear of offending ; an earnest desire of pleasing ; 
and a general conformity to what they think are 
the secret as well as declared intimatiops of 
their master’s will, are the great lines and cha- 
racters of every servant’s duty. And he who 


234 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


does these things shall have peace of conscience 
and enjoy the approbation of God. 

Section XII .— The duty of the convert considered as the 
head of a family. 

The convert, considered as the head of a 
family, has binding upon him all the duties to 
God, his fellow creatures, and himself, which I 
have pointed out in the foregoing chapters, be- 
sides some others which are peculiar to his 
situation. These special duties I shall briefly 
notice here, under the following heads : — 
1. Authority; 2. Education; 3. Example. 

1. Authority. When God gives a man a 
family, he clothes him with authority to govern 
that family. To know* the nature and extent of 
his authority, he must know the number and 
condition of his family, whether children or 
servants. The head of a family is not a tyrant, 
but a father. He governs, not as a despot, but 
as the representative and vicegerent of God. 
His laws are all just and good, and adapted to 
promote the peace and happiness of the whole 
family. The object is to infuse one soul into 
all the members, and to bring the whole, as far 
as possible, into unity of design and action. 
Servants are to know and keep their places. 
And so also the children. And when one head 


THK CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


235 


directs the whole body, all will be harmony and 
concord. 

2. Education. I use the term education , 
both for instructing and training up children in 
the way they should go — not only for setting 
the right path before them, but for causing them 
to walk therein while young. Instruction is in- 
deed a great, an important work, and “will re- 
quire “line upon line, line upon line, precept 
upon precept, precept upon precept,” to imbue 
the tender mind with the spirit of every moral 
and Christian virtue. Children must be brought, 
while young, to repress all angry and revenge- 
ful emotions, and to cultivate good will and 
kindly affections toward one another, and toward 
all people. In a word, their whole demeanour 
should be respectful and affectionate, and in all 
respects agreeable to propriety and truth. 
Children should be taught in all things to 
honour their parents, and to speak of and to 
one another with the utmost affection, using the 
endearing appellations of brother and sister. 
Theyshould never, on any occasion, be allowed 
to vex or irritate one another. This is barbarous, 
and the parent who allows it is criminal in the 
sight of God. Nor should servants be allowed 
to do this ; and if they cannot be prevented, 
they should be dismissed. Nor should they be 


236 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

allowed to frighten children, or make any false 
representations to them on any account what- 
ever. And let not the manners of children be 
thought an object unworthy the attention of 
parents. All I can now say upon this subject 
is, that their manners should be unaffected, 
easy, and graceful. They will then possess 
real virtue, and command respect and esteem. 
But these accomplishments are necessarily con- 
nected with a cultivated mind, and can hardly 
exist without it. But above all let it be ob- 
served, and remembered, that the grace of God 
is absolutely necessary to that state of moral 
virtue and intellectual improvement which are 
the beauty and the glory of the family state. 
The convert, it is hoped, is duly sensible of the 
importance of this subject, and will avail him- 
self of every help to accomplish the object. 

3. The example of the convert here will be 
found of the utmost importance. For he can 
never persuade others to walk in a way that he 
does not walk in himself. He will never in- 
fluence his children and servants to practise 
virtues he does not practise himself. Will he be 
likely to persuade them to cultivate a meek and 
quiet spirit, while he indulges in anger? Will 
he persuade them to be humble and unassuming 
while he is proud and ambitious ? No, verily ; 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 237 

but he will counteract the influence of his own 
instructions, and also that of others, yea, and of 
the gospel of the grace of God also. 

The convert who has a family is under an 
awful responsibility for the character of that 
family. It will be his utmost care to model his 
family after the divine pattern. It will be the 
height of his ambition to bring it to that state of 
virtue, respectability, and happiness that God 
designs. For this he will watch and pray, in- 
struct, exhort, entreat, and warn. And thus 
labouring, and relying on the grace of God for 
wisdom and strength, he shall not labour in 
vain ; but it may then be said of him and his 
household, “ Behold how good and how plea- 
sant it is for brethren to dwell together in 
unity.” 


CHAPTER III. 

i , , t< . 

CHRISTIAN DUTIES WHICH RELATE IMMEDIATELY 
TO OURSELVES. 

All our duties, whether they relate more 
immediately to God, our neighbour, or our- 
selves, are Christian duties ; there is, however, 
this threefold distinction to be made, according 
as God, our neighbour, or ourselves are the im- 


238 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

mediate object of the required service. That 
we owe ourselves some duties, that is, that somo 
duties respect ourselves immediately, is as clear 
as that some relate immediately to God, or our 
neighbour. The object in this place, however, 
is to treat very briefly of some of the more im- 
portant personal duties. 

Section I . — Attention to our thoughts. 

Most Christians are more or less troubled 
with a variety of thoughts which find a place 
in their minds. In proportion as these are 
troublesome, the inquiry becomes interesting, 
are these thoughts sinful, or are they not ? and 
what class or kind of thoughts may the Chris- 
tian expect to be freed from ? 

First : Those thoughts are sinful which wan- 
der from God, or in which God is not. All our 
thoughts are naturally of this kind, for they are 
continually wandering from God. We think 
nothing about him. God is not in all our 
thoughts. We are one and all, as the apostle 
observes, “ without God in the world.” We 
think of what we love : but we do not love God ; 
therefore we do not think of him. Or if we are 
now and then constrained to think of him for a 
time, yet as we have no pleasure in thinking of 
him, nay, rather, as these thoughts are not only 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


239 


insipid, but irksome to us, we drive them out as 
soon as we can, and return to what we love to 
think of. So that the world and the things of 
the world ; what we shall eat, what we shall 
drink, what we shall put on ; what we shall see, 
what we shall hear, what we shall gain : how 
we shall please our senses or our imaginations, 
take up all our time, and engross all our thoughts. 
So long, therefore, as we love the world, that 
is, so long as we are in our natural state, all our 
thoughts, from morning to evening, and from 
evening to morning, are no other than wander- 
ing thoughts, thoughts that wander from God, 
and are sinful. All those thoughts which pro- 
ceed from the carnal mind, which is enmity 
against God ; unbelieving thoughts, denying the 
providence, wisdom, goodness, justice, mercy, 
and truth of God ; and all murmuring or repin- 
ing thoughts of God, are sinful. Closely con- 
nected with these are proud and vain imagina- 
tions. Sometimes men are taken up with angry, 
malicious, or revengeful thoughts : at other times 
with any scenes of pleasure, whether of our 
senses or the imagination, whereby the earthly, 
sensual mind becomes more earthly and sensual 
still. Now, by all these they make open war 
with God ; and these are wandering thoughts 
of the highest kind. 


240 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

Widely different from these are the other sort 
of wandering thoughts, in which the heart does 
not wander from God, but the understanding 
wanders from the particular point it had then 
in view. For instance : I sit down to consider 
those words of the apostle, “ The weapons of 
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through 
God.” I think this ought to be the case with 
all who are called Christians* But how far is 
it otherwise ? Look round into almost every 
part of what is termed the Christian world ! 
What weapons are these using ? In what kind 
of warfare are they engaged ? 

“ While men, like fiends, each other tear, 

In all the hellish rage of war 1 ” 

“ See how these Christians love one an- 
other!” Wherein are they preferable to Turks 
and pagans ? What abomination can be found 
among Mohammedans or heathens, which is 
not found among Christians also 1 And thus 
my mind runs off, before I am aware, from one 
circumstance to another. Now all these are, in 
some sense, wandering thoughts ; for although 
they do not wander from God, much less fight 
against him, yet they do wander from the par- 
ticular point I had in view. Thoughts of this 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


241 


kind, though they may be troublesome, and in 
that sense evil , yet they are not sinful. 

From what has now been said, we may see 
clearly from what kind of wandering thoughts 
we may expect to be delivered ; namely, from 
all those thoughts that wander from God. 
From these, all who are perfected in love are 
undoubtedly delivered. But from those thoughts 
which merely wander from the particular point 
we may have in view ; from those which are 
occasioned by fever, pain, or any disease of the 
body, especially of the nerves ; together with 
those which are produced by outward objects 
acting upon the senses, and those which arise 
from the treatment of wicked men and devils 
toward us ; we cannot, expect to be delivered 
while we are in the body * 

The rules which are generally laid down for 
the government of our thoughts are very defect- 
ive. To be convinced of this, we need only 
advert again to the distinction made between 
thoughts which wander from God, and thoughts 
which wander from the point we have in hand. 
The latter we shall never be wholly free from 
in this world. They are, in respect to us, 
physical and not moral evils. But with respect 

* Wesley’s Sermon on Wandering Thoughts. 

16 


242 THE COX VERT’S GUIDE. 

to those which wander from God, it is different. 
These proceed from unbelief, from the enmity 
of the carnal mind, from sinful tempers, as anger, 
malice, &c. ; and from these we maybe saved ; 
not, however, by our own strength. We may 
watch against them and check them as much as 
we will unless we strive “in strength divine,” 
we shall never overcome them. It is good to 
strive against them, and this we must do ; but 
it is “ faith that giveth us the victory because 
through faith the love of God is shed abroad in 
our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. It 
is peculiarly that faith which worketh, and is 
made energetic by love ; and when the love of 
God is perfected in us, every thought, in a pro- 
per sense, is in obedience to Christ. And here- 
in, properly speaking, consists the art of govern- 
ing our thoughts. 

Section II. — Of humility . 

Humility is that lowliness of mind which 
consists in a person’s apprehension of his own 
nothingness in view of the divine perfections, 
his littleness, sinfulness, and entire dependance 
on God for every good thing. 

When Job had a view of the glorious perfec- 
tions of the Deity, he “ abhorred himself, and 
repented in dust and ashes.’’ And thus, in 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 243 

vision, Isaiah saw the cherubim covering their 
faces and their feet in the presence of Jehovah, 
as unable to endure the splendour of his cha- 
racter. And he said, “ Wo is me ! for I am 
undone, because I am a man of unclean lips.” 
When David surveyed the immensity of God’s 
works, he exclaimed, as in the language of self- 
abasement, “ Lord, what is man, that thou art 
mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou 
visitest him !” Humility also leads its possessor 
to consider the wise, and good, and useful 
around him, as “ better than himself.” The 
humble man will be charitable in relation to the 
faults of others, while he is severe with regard 
to his own. He will never think himself too 
good or great to be the servant of all, even the 
poor and the unworthy, but will take a real 
pleasure in doing them good as he has oppor- 
tunity and means. 

But there is another view of this subject, 
which is of the utmost importance to us. Who 
are the humble ? Without doubt they are the 
poor in spirit, those who see no righteousness 
of their own ; those who are poor, and miserable, 
and blind, and naked ; having no good thing 
in themselves by nature, but whatever is evil 
and abominable. He is humble, who sees in 
himself a carnal mind at enmity against God, 


244 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

and full of every unclean desire and sinful tem- 
per; who knows his- whole nature is corrupt, 
and all his passions, emotions, and actions are 
sinful. His guilt is now also before his face ; 
he knows the punishment he has deserved, were 
it only on account of the universal corruption of 
his nature ; how much more then on account of 
all his evil desires and thoughts, of all his sinful 
words and actions ? He cannot doubt for a 
moment that the least of these deserves the 
damnation of hell. Above all, the guilt of not 
believing on the name of the only begotten Son 
of God lies heavy upon him. “ How,” says 
he, “ shall I escape, who have neglected so 
great salvation !” In respect to any human 
prospect of escape, he is as wretched as he is 
in view of the guilt that presses upon him. If 
God should forgive him all that is past on con- 
dition that he should sin no more, he well knows 
that this would profit him nothing, being a con- 
dition he could never perform. Encompassed 
with sin and sorrow, he can only cry out, 
“ Lord, save, or I perish !” And when the 
grace of God has come to his relief, he is a 
sinner saved by grace , and can take no praise to 
himself for his happy deliverance. So far from 
that, the grace which saves him is another 
motive, and an efficient one, to humility ; and 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 245 

his constant language is, “ Not unto me, not 
unto me, but to thy name be the praise, for 
ever and ever.” And so for all the great things 
the Lord in his mercy shall do for him. 

It will at once be seen, that when God is 
said to “ humble himself,” it cannot be under- 
stood in the same sense in which it is spoken 
of us, but means his great condescension to 
us, miserable offenders. Thus Jesus Christ, 
11 though he were rich, yet for our sakes be- 
came poor, humbled himself, and became obe- 
dient unto death, even the death of the cross.” 
This was not only necessary in order that he 
might redeem us from the curse of the law, but 
also that he might lay the foundation of his re- 
ligion in humility, and place in the very front of 
his beatitudes, “ Blessed are the poor in spirit.” 
Well might he require of his followers to walk 
in lowliness and meekness, to be “ clothed with 
humility,” when, though he was a perfect 
example of all moral and divine perfections, yet 
he commends himself especially to their imi- 
tation upon the account of his humility ; “ Learn 
of me,” says he, “ for I am meek and lowly of 
heart, and ye shall find rest unto your soul's.” 
“ To this man will I look, saith the Lord, even 
to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and 
that trembleth at my word.” Humility is a 


246 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


most amiable and useful virtue. It prepares us 
for every good work, and makes us the willing 
servants of all. Riches and rank will never 
stand in the way of our duty, if we be truly 
humble ; and with these accompaniments, hu- 
mility is still more amiable and useful. 

Section III . — Of meekness. 

When “ the winter is past,” when “ the time 
of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is 
heard in the land when he that “ comforts 
the mourners is come, that he may abide w T ith 
them for ever when at the brightness of his 
presence the clouds disperse, the dark clouds 
of doubt and uncertainty, the storms of fear 
flee away, the waves of sorrow subside, and 
they rejoice in God their Saviour — then it is 
that this word is eminently fulfilled ; then those 
whom he hath comforted can bear witness, 
“ Blessed,” or happy, “ are the meek, for they 
shall inherit the earth.” 

Meekness, therefore, seems properly to relate 
to ourselves ; but it may have reference either 
to God or our neighbour. When this due com- 
posure of mind has reference to God, it is 
usually termed resignation, a calm acquiescence 
in whatever is his will concerning us, even 
though it may not be pleasing to nature ; say- 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 247 

ing continually, “ It is the Lord ; let him do 
what seemeth him good.” When we consider 
it more strictly with regard to ourselves, we 
style it patience or contentedness. When it is 
exerted toward other men, then it is mildness 
to the good, and gentleness to the evil. 

They who are truly meek can clearly dis- 
cern what is evil, and they can also suffer it. 
They are sensible of every thing of this kind ; 
but still meekness holds the reigns. They are 
zealous for the Lord of hosts ; but their zeal is 
not obstinate or self-willed ; it is always guided 
by knowledge, and tempered, in every thought, 
and word, and work, with love to man as well 
as love to God. They do not aim to extinguish 
any of the passions which God for wise ends 
planted in their nature ; but they have the mas- 
tery of all — they hold them all in subjection, 
and employ them only in subservience to these 
ends. The passions are adapted to the noblest 
purposes. Even hatred, and anger, and fear, 
when engaged against sin, and regulated by 
faith and love, are as walls and bulwarks to the 
soul, so that the wicked one cannot approach to 
hurt it. 

But here the utmost caution is to be used, 
lest we suffer hatred and anger against the per- 
son of our neighbour, instead of his wicked ac- 


248 THE CONVERT'S GUIDE. 

lions. Anger at sin is allowed. In this sense 
we may be angry and sin not. In this sense 
our Lord himself is once recorded to have been 
angry. He “looked round about upon them 
with anger, being grieved for the hardness of 
their hearts.” He was grieved at the sinners, 
and angry at the sin. And this is what God 
requires. 

The convert must guard against another 
error, which says we may be angry in our 
hearts at our neighbour, so it does not show 
itself in outward acts of violence against him. 
Mr. Wesley’s words are very striking here. 
“ Our Lord here ranks under the head of mur- 
der even that anger which goes no farther than 
the heart ; which does not show itself by any 
outward unkindness ; no, not so much as a pas- 
sionate word. ‘ Whosoever is angry with his 
brother,’ with any man living, seeing we are all 
brethren ; whosoever feels any unkindness in 
his heart, any temper contrary to love ; ‘ who- 
soever is angry without a cause,’ without a 
sufficient cause, or farther than the cause re- 
quires, shall be in danger of the judgment, shall 
in that moment be obnoxious to the righteous 
judgment of God. But would not one be in- 
clined to prefer the reading of those copies, 
which omit the words, vnthout a cause ? Are they 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 249 

not entirely superfluous ? For if anger at per- 
sons be a temper contrary to love, how can there 
be a cause, a sufficient cause for it? any that 
will justify it in the sight of God ?” 

After taking this view of the subject, who 
will hesitate to say that “ a meek and quiet 
spirit is an ornament which, in the sight of God, 
is of great price ?” 

A single reflection offers itself here, which 
cannot be withheld. As meekness, according 
to the view here taken of it, is indispensable to 
the peace and quiet of our own minds, so is it 
also to the peace of the circles in which we 
‘move. Who has not proved the truth of that 
saying of Solomon, “ A soft answer turneth 
away wrath ; but grievous words stir up anger ?” 
There is another thought which gives great 
weight and interest to this reflection. Aged 
people, in many instances, do not bear afflic- 
tions, and the contradictions of men of corrupt 
minds, with that meekness and sweetness of 
temper, which were once comparatively easy to 
them ; but are apt to be impatient and fretful, 
and very difficult to please. A meek dispo- 
sition therefore should be obtained, formed into 
a habit, and confirmed, before the period of 
mental flexibility be past, or the habit may 
never be completely formed, nor a foundation 


250 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

for permanent tranquillity secured. In this case 
we may suffer much from the want of meek- 
ness, and make those unhappy who are about us. 

Section IV . — Of self-denial , and bearing ike cross. 

Our blessed Lord hath said, “ If any man will 
come after me, let him deny himself, and take 
up his cross daily, and follow me.” 

But what is self-denial 1 Wherein are we to 
deny ourselves ? And whence does the neces- 
sity of this arise ? I answer, The will of God 
is the supreme, unalterable rule for every in- 
telligent creature, equally binding every angel 
in heaven, and every man upon earth. Nor 
can it be otherwise ; this is the natural, neces- 
sary result of the relation between creatures and 
their Creator. But if the will of God be our 
one rule of action in every thing, great and 
small, it follows, by undeniable consequence, 
that we are not to do our own will in any thing. 
Here therefore we see at once the nature, with 
the ground and reason of self-denial. We see 
the nature of self-denial : it is the denying, or 
refusing to follow our own will, from a convic- 
tion that the will of God is the only rule of ac- 
tion to us. And we see the reason thereof ; be- 
cause we are creatures ; because “ it is he that 
hath made us, and not we ourselves.” 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 251 

But a farther reason for it arises from the 
condition in which all men are since the fall. 
We are all now “ shapen in wickedness, and 
in sin did our mother conceive us.” Our nature 
is now altogether corrupt, in every power and 
faculty. And our will, depraved equally with 
the rest, is wholly bent to indulge our natural 
corruption. On the other hand, it is the will of 
God that we resist and counteract that corrup- 
tion, not at some times, or in some things only, 
but at all times, and in all things. Here, there- 
fore, is a farther ground for constant, universal 
self-denial. 

On the whole, then, to deny ourselves, is to 
deny our own will, where it does not coincide 
with the will of God, and that, however pleas- 
ing it may be. It is to deny ourselves any 
pleasure which does not spring from, and lead 
to God : that is, in effect to refuse going out of 
our way, though into a pleasant, flowery path ; 
to refuse what we know to be deadly poison, 
though agreeable to the taste. 

And every one that would follow Christ, that 
would be his real disciple, must not only deny 
himself, j but take up his cross also. A cross is 
any thing contrary to our will, any thing dis- 
pleasing to our nature. So that taking up our 
cross goes a little farther than denying our- 


252 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

selves ; it rises a little higher, and is a more 
difficult task to flesh and blood ; it being more 
easy to forego pleasure than to endure pain. 
What then is to be done ? The choice is plain : 
either we must take up our cross , or we must 
turn aside from the way of God, from the holy 
commandment delivered to us, if we do not stop 
altogether, or turn back to everlasting perdition. 
There is no other way to cure the corruption 
of our nature. We must deny self and take up 
our cross , or lose our souls. The right hand 
must be cut off, the right eye must be plucked 
out, to save the whole man. 

The taking up differs a little from hearing the 
cross. We are then properly said to hear our 
cross, when we endure what is laid upon us 
without our choice, with meekness and resigna- 
tion. Whereas, we do not properly take up our 
cross, but when we voluntarily suffer what is in 
our power to avoid ; when we willingly embrace 
the will of God, though contrary to our own ; 
when we choose what is painful, because it is 
the will of our wise and gracious Creator. And 
thus it behooves every one who would be a 
disciple of Christ, to take up, as well as to hear 
his cross. And no one can be his disciple un- 
less he do so. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


253 


Section V . — A day's walk of the convert with God , or 
being in the fear of the Lord all the day long. 

I speak not of an isolated day merely, but 
of a day in such a sense as may represent the 
whole life of the Christian. What the convert 
may be one day, he may be every day during 
his whole life. The grace of God is sufficient 
for him at all times, and under all possible cir- 
cumstances that may occur. That we may the 
better understand this subject I throw what ob- 
servations I have to make at present under the 
three following heads : the beginning, the pro- 
gress, and the closing of the day. 

1. W T hile we guard against a superstitious 
strictness in trifles, an indolent remissness, if 
admitted in little things, may draw after it crim- 
inal neglect, and, at length, yet more criminal 
indulgences. 

In the beginning of the day it should be our 
care to lift up our hearts to God as soon as we 
awake, and while we are rising, and then to set 
ourselves seriously and immediately to the se- 
cret devotions of the morning. The reason for 
the first of these seems exceedingly natural. 
There are so many things that may suggest 
pious reflections and ejaculations, that one 
would think a serious mind could hardly miss 


254 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


them. The refreshment we find from sleep ; 
the security we have found in that defenceless 
state ; the provision of warm and decent ap- 
parel ; the cheerful light of the sun, and, above 
all, the lively hope of a joyful resurrection to 
an eternal day of happiness and glory, demand 
our gratitude. Any of these particulars, and 
many more which I do not mention, may fur- 
nish matter of pleasing reflection and cheerful 
praise, while we are rising. Let us be careful 
to bring into our morning devotions the grateful 
acknowledgment of the mercies we have re- 
ceived from our heavenly Father; never for- 
getting to mention Christ as the foundation of all 
our enjoyments and hopes, or to return thanks 
for the influences of the blessed Spirit, which 
have led our hearts to God, or are then inclin- 
ing our hearts to seek him. This act of praise 
may properly be conducted with an express 
renewal of our covenant with God, declaring 
our continued resolution of being devoted to him, 
and of living to his glory the ensuing day. Thus 
setting the Lord before us, and on our right 
hand, we shall be prepared for all the duties and 
trials of the day, and to glorify God always. 
After this it will be proper to oflfer up prayer to 
God, and to close the duties of the closet with 
reading a portion of Scripture, generally select 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 255 

passages, and longer or shorter, according as 
time may serve. Thus performing the morning 
duties of the closet, the convert will be enabled 
to carry the spirit of devotion into all the la- 
bours, cares, and trials of the day. 

2. The most material directions which have 
occurred to me, relating to the progress of the 
day, are these : That we be serious in the de- 
votions of the day ; that we be industrious in 
the business of it, that is, in prosecuting our 
worldly callings ; that we be temperate and 
prudent in all things ; that we carefully mark 
the providences of the day, whether in our com- 
forts or afflictions ; that we cautiously guard 
against temptations, and keep up a lively and 
humble dependance on divine influence, suit- 
able to every emergency ; that we govern our 
thoughts well in solitude, and our conversation 
in company. 

3. The directions for a religious closing of 
the day, which I shall here mention, are only 
two. Let us see to it that the secret duties of 
the evening be well performed ; and let us lie 
down on our beds in a pious and tranquil frame 
of mind. 

I would advise that close self-examination be 
had in the first place ; then that a portion of 
Scripture be read, with suitable reflections of 


256 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

your own, or some evangelical commentator ;* 
after which let prayer be offered for yourself 
and others, according to circumstances, (see the 
foregoing section on prayer,) never forgetting 
the errors of judgment, and short comings in 
duty, which God may have seen in you ; and 
then read or sing a psalm or hymn suited to 
your state. 

As to the sentiments with which we should 
lie down and compose ourselves to sleep, it is 
obviously suitable to think of the divine good- 
ness in adding another day, and the mercies of 
it, to the former days and mercies of our life ; to 
notice the indulgence of Providence in giving 
us a measure of health, food, dwellings, &c. 
Thus may our sleeping as well as our waking 
hours be, in some sense, devoted to God. And 
when we are just going to resign ourselves to 
the image of death, it is also evidently proper 
to think seriously of the end of all the living, 
and to renew those actions of repentance and 
faith which we should wish to possess if we 
should awake here no more. 

It would be an easy matter to multiply con- 
siderations under each of the foregoing heads. 
But the fear of swelling this manual to too great 

* Dr. Coke’s are by far the best, for devotional purposes, 
of any that I have seen. 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 


257 


a size, and also of encumbering the mind of the 
convert with too great an induction of particu- 
lars, forbids my enlarging. 

CONCLUSION. 

Under the following heads of self-examin- 
ation, a variety of subjects are suggested, and 
the questions which will be found there are 
such as -any convert of ordinary capacity may 
understand and answer. They are probably too 
numerous for daily use ; in which case I would 
advise the convert to select such as his own 
reflection will suggest as most suitable for the 
secret devotions of every evening. The whole 
I would advise to be used monthly, during the 
week preceding the holy communion. To these 
should be added the directions for self-examin- 
ation given in the chapter on the preparation 
for the Lord’s supper. 

Heads for self-examination. 

Seeing that I must shortly leave this world, 
and answer to the Judge of all for the deeds 
done in the body, it behooves me to prepare to 
meet my God. I will, therefore, take some part 
of every day to examine myself on the follow- 
ing heads, that I may know what account I am 
to render to my Judge. 

17 


258 the convert’s guide. 

First. My duties to my God. Have I con- 
sidered the relation I stand in to God as my 
Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and the ob- 
ligations I am under to him? Do I love my 
God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength? 
Do I consider him my chief good, and my por- 
tion for ever ? Do I rejoice in him more than 
in all things besides ? Do I cheerfully deny 
myself, and bear my cross, that I may do his 
will ? In eating, drinking, and putting on of 
apparel, as well as in all my recreations and 
labours, do I consult only his will, and make 
his glory my only object and aim ? Do I search 
his word daily, with prayer, that I may know 
his will, and am I determined to believe and 
practise what I find therein ? Do I trust the 
Lord at all times ? Do I worship him in spirit 
and in truth ? Have I communion with him in 
all his ordinances ? Do I pray to him for all 
I need, and give him thanks for all I receive ? 
Have I set the Lord always before me, that I 
might not be moved to anger, to pride, or impa- 
tience ? Do I see that in all my trials, he de- 
signs my good, and do I, therefore, submit to 
them without murmuring, saying from my heart, 
“ Thou, God, seest me?” Do I grow in grace, 
and in the knowledge of Christ ? Am I earn- 
estly endeavouring to perfect holiness in the 


THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 259 

fear of God? Does his Spirit bear witness 
with mine that I am a child of God, accepted in 
Christ Jesus, and that my ways please him? 
And do I realize that without Christ I can do 
nothing — that with him I can do all things ; 
and have I recourse to him continually, by 
prayer and faith, for the grace I need ? 

Secondly. My duties to my fellow creatures. 
What are the tempers and dispositions which I 
indulge toward all mankind? Do I esteem 
and love the righteous, wherever I see them, 
and feel bowels of compassion toward the igno- 
rant, and all them that are seeking death in the 
error of their life % Do I value above gold my 
relation to the children of God ; and have I 
withdrawn all intimacy and friendship from 
such as are under the spirit of the world, whose 
example and conversation would have no ten- 
dency to promote my best good ? And at the 
same time, have I that love which is not only 
free from anger and from envy, but is kindly 
affectioned toward all men, gentle and easy to 
be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits'? 
Have I duly considered that it is essential to 
pure and undefiled religion that I should rejoice 
with them that do rejoice, and weep with them 
that weep ; that I should forgive my enemies ; 
that I should pray for all men ; that 1 should 


260 THE CONVERT’S GUIDE. 

watch over my brethren in love, and receive 
their admonition with thankfulness ? Have I 
kept my covenant with the brethren, so as to 
have caused neither grief nor reproach ? What 
have I done in this age of benevolence to help 
forward the cause of God ? Have I done all in 
my power to support the gospel, to assist the 
missions, to promote sabbath schools, &c.? Are 
my time, substance, and talents, all devoted to 
God, and a sacrifice for the good of my fellow 
creatures ? 

Thirdly. My duties to myself. Am I working 
out my salvation with fear and trembling, as 
knowing the shortness of life, the variety, sub- 
tlety, and strength of the temptations which sur- 
round me, as well as the terror of the Lord ? 
Have I put on the whole armour of righteous- 
ness, on the right hand and on the left? Have 
I, by the grace of God, brought all my passions 
and appetites into subjection to his will ? Am 
I crucified to the world, and the world to me ? 
Am I dead to sin, and alive unto God? Do I 
constantly keep my body under, and preserve 
my soul in peace ? Am I ready, if my Lord 
should call me this night ? 0 Lord God, help 

me to examine myself carefully, and judge- my 
state impartially, as thou judgest it ! Amen. 












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